Lawsuit accuses Las Vegas police of excessive force in man’s 2014 arrest

A man arrested in 2014 on a probation violation is seeking $1 million in an excessive force lawsuit against Las Vegas police.

Nathan Maynard, 25, was at a Henderson McDonald’s in July 2014 when he was surrounded by a group of police officers, tightly handcuffed and thrown on the ground, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday against the Metropolitan Police Department and several unnamed officers.

A Metro spokesman said the department does not comment on pending litigation.

Police records show officers were called about 4:15 p.m. that day to a McDonald’s restaurant on Green Valley Parkway, near Warm Springs Road, for an “investigative follow-up.”

Maynard had pleaded guilty in October 2013 to larceny after Henderson police said he entered a stranger’s apartment with a woman he knew and took the man’s cellphone. He was sentenced to probation on the conditions that he abstain from drinking alcohol, have no contact with the larceny victim, obtain a high school or GED diploma, and do community service.

The lawsuit did not say what aspect of Maynard’s probation he was accused of violating. Neither Maynard nor his attorney, Guinness Ohazuruike, were available for comment Friday.

According to the lawsuit, Maynard was told to lie on the ground, was handcuffed and then was lifted up by one officer and thrown back down. Maynard alleges he suffered “serious bodily injury,” including a “huge” gash on his head and shoulder and profuse bleeding, as well as a dislocated wrist that went untreated for months after his arrest.

The dislocation of Maynard’s wrist “produced recurring disability,” as it would often “give up or snap during work activity,” Ohazuruike wrote in the complaint.

Maynard is asking for $1 million in damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, and general compensation.

The lawsuit accuses the department of excessive force, cruel and unusual punishment, assault and battery.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Follow @lauxkimber on Twitter.