EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man has claimed that Springfield police used excessive force when arresting him in late December 2008, and is asking the department and the Lane County Jail to revise its policies regarding mentally-ill suspects in custody.
The Register-Guard reports that Mark A. Kemp says in the lawsuit filed in federal court in Eugene that Springfield police officers used excessive force when he was arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing at a gas station on Dec. 29, 2008.
Kemp is seeking unspecified monetary damages.
Kemp also claims deputies assaulted him in jail when he didn’t respond to their orders.
Kemp is described as an intermittently homeless man who has lived in both Springfield and Eugene.
