The Charleston Gazette-Mail today reported on a lawsuit we filed late last week against a Logan County police officer for the use of excessive force against Mark Messer.
Here is the article:
Lawsuit: Logan deputy’s excessive force led to 17-day coma, long-term injuries
Mark Messer was never convicted of any crime. However, during his arrest, his life was changed forever due to having his skull crushed on the asphalt by a Logan County, West Virginia deputy.
When Johnson began to walk Messer to his police vehicle, Messer turned his head and asked Johnson, “Who do you work for, the State Police, or the county?” according to the lawsuit.
The deputy “aggressively” replied, according to Messer’s lawsuit, then tripped Messer and pushed him to the ground. “Witnesses observed Johnson purposefully slamming plaintiff into the ground, in an apparent action in response to plaintiff’s question,” the lawsuit states.
With his hands cuffed behind him, Messer fell face-first onto the ground, as witnesses heard his head and face “loudly crack” on the ground and saw him “immediately start bleeding profusely,” according to the lawsuit.
Here is a previous post on the plight of Mark Messer, from back when he was still in a coma:
In the news: our client is on life support after use of force during an arrest
Katrina Seabolt says she witnessed a Logan County Sheriff’s deputy throw her brother to the ground about three weeks ago….
Mark Messer, 54, has been on life support in a Charleston hospital ever since an incident on Mud River Road in Logan on Aug. 18.
“It’s under investigation right now,” Logan Chief Deputy Mike Mayes said on Friday. “Whenever it involves use of force, this office investigates it.”….
Messer’s family has hired Monroe County lawyer John Bryan. He said last week that no one from the sheriff’s department has reached out to the family since the incident.
“My goals are to find out what happened,” Bryan said. “I want any documentation from law enforcement about the incident.”
Mark Messer was forced to go through an extended period of rehabilitation. He had to relearn how to walk; how to talk. Still, he never received any communications from Logan County. Not an apology. Not a conclusion to their “investigation.” Not compensation for his severe life-long medical injuries. Fortunately, he has the option of going to the federal courts to seek justice.