Community Faces $10 Mil. Lawsuit For Alleged Police Brutality

WKRN
Mar. 01, 2008

Video HereThe community of Cookeville, in Putnam County, is facing a $10 million lawsuit amid the release of shocking police dash cam video.

The video, from a Cookeville police cruiser, shows the arrest of a Putnam County man.

A Cookeville officer is seen allegedly placing drugs on the man, Carlos Ferrell, before arresting him.

Ferrell is now suing the city of Cookeville, the police department, Putnam County, and the sheriff's office for $10 million.

During the arrest, Ferrell was also bitten by a police K9.

Chris Melton, one of the officers involved, is now on leave, and his police force is facing statewide scrutiny.

Cookeville Police have turned the investigation over to the TBI.

Melton is one of seven Cookeville police officers named in a lawsuit following the arrest.

Melton did not want to speak about the case when contacted by News 2.

“I don’t have a comment without my lawyer present,” he said when approached by News 2 reporter Scott Fralick.

Ferrell’s attorney Blair Durham said his client was the victim of violent police work and attacked by a K9 unit.

Durham said by the end of the ordeal, his client feared for his life and was simply agreeing with anything officers said.

““The crux of lawsuit really centers around the fact that he was treated subhuman,” he said. “The constitution was just laughed at, as far as the treatment for him; drugs were planted upon him, the physical abuse and abuse from dogs.”

Durham said the case could go before the Federal Department of Justice.

There were so many officers at the stop because, police said, they were serving a warrant.