Woman files excessive force suit against Las Vegas police
A 46-year-old Las Vegas woman has accused a Metropolitan Police Department officer of striking her face and slamming her head against a wall during an arrest on charges that were later dropped.
In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, Camille Taylor accuses Metro Officer Jonathan Robinson of going “hands on” with her when he responded to an April 2015 domestic violence call. The lawsuit says the officer’s attack came “without warning or provocation.”
Taylor says she is 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighed 110 pounds at the time of the incident. She alleges that Robinson’s partner, Officer Paul Ake, “stood and watched the incident and allowed Officer Robinson to use excessive force … and did nothing to stop the brutal and wrongful attack.”
According to the April 12 filing, Robinson’s actions occurred while he was placing Taylor into custody. The charges were subsequently dismissed.
“No properly trained officer would have smashed Plaintiff’s head into the wall without justification, nor would a properly trained officer stand by and watch a fellow officer abuse an individual,” defense attorney E. Brent Bryson wrote in the filing.
Bryson did not return a request for comment.
Taylor is seeking $2 million in punitive and compensatory damages. The lawsuit lists Robinson, Ake, several unidentified officers and the Metropolitan Police Department as defendants.
The police department declines comment on pending litigation.
Contact Jenny Wilson at jenwilson@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Follow @jennydwilson on Twitter.
