Skateboarder Files Lawsuit Against The Pennsylvania State Police
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christopher Siennick rides a skateboard in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He doesn't own a car, his transportation is a custom four-wheel longboard.
In the early morning hours of May 16, twenty-five year old Siennick was riding his longboard home from work. According to a federal civil rights complaint filed by Williams Cuker Berezofsky attorney Gerald Williams in court yesterday, two Pennsylvania State Troopers, Michael Trotta and Ryan Luckenbaugh, drove by the skateboarder and yelled "get off the street, faggot."
The troopers then approached Sienneck, confronted him and then struck with a baton and Tasered him twice. He was then handcuffed, pepper sprayed in his eyes, and kicked in the head and face causing pain and temporary blindness according to the complaint.
Sienneck was charged with 14 misdemeanors and felonies including aggravated and simple assault, "propulsion of missiles into an occupied vehicle," resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, flight, obstruction of highways, drunkenness, disregard of traffic regulations and violations of statutes regulating pedestrians.
Upon District Attorney Ed Marsico's review of the videotape of the encounter, he determined there was no basis to prosecute Sienneck and dropped the charges. By that time, the skateboarder had spent three weeks in Dauphin County Prison with a $250,000 bail he couldn't afford. Marsico requested the State Police investigate the two troopers.
*Christopher Sienneck is involved in both Harrisburg's skateboarding community and the community at large. He has had prior run-ins with the law, though he has described interacting positively with police in the past. Sienneck is a community and social justice advocate for civic and environmental causes. He has volunteered in a program that teaches autistic children to ride skateboards co-sponsored by his local police department(1) and expressed interest in running for city council. "
http://www.thestreet.com/story/13270611/2/skateboarder-files-lawsuit-against-the-pennsylvania-state-police-alleging-excessive-use-of-force-and-false-arrest.html
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