Elk’s Charity Event Sparks Police Brutality And Civil Rights Action For Attleboro Resident

An incident at the annual Elk’s Lodge barbecue in Attleboro, Massachusetts sparked police brutality and a civil rights action filed by the firm on behalf of a life-long Attleboro resident. Micahel Chora was attending the charity event on August 8, 2008 when the former Chief of Detectives for the Attleboro Police Department, Kenneth Collins, directed members of the Attleboro Police to eject Mr. Chora from the event because of a prior personal dispute he had with Mr. Chora. The suit charges that Mr. Chora was placed in custody by Officers Brian Witherell, James MacDonald and Eric Ventola and then tasered while being escorted from the property. A Taser is an electro-shock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of a subject’s muscles. In the “Drive Stun” mode, the Taser is held against the body and is intended to cause severe pain which incapacitates the victim using electro-muscular disruption technology. Because of the potential for abuse, the use of taser weapons is strictly controlled under Massachusetts law and absolutely forbidden when a subject is in effective custody. Mr. Chora was hospitalized and then illegally detained and prosecuted for resisting arrest. After a trial, he was completely exonerated of any wrongdoing. The suit goes on to allege that following his acquittal on all charges, members of the Attleboro Police Department continued to harass members of his family in order to “send Mr. Chora a message”. On two occasions, Mr. Chora’s daughter was followed by Officer Witherell in a private vehicle and later stopped and illegally detailed by members of the Attleboro Police Department. As attorneys for Mr. Chora, Klieman & Lyons has brought suit on behalf of the Chora family against the Attleboro Police Department and five present or former Attleboro Pol ice Officers for violation of 42 United States Code, Section 1983, the Massachusetts Civil rights Act and other violations of law. The suit (Case No. 2011-11395) is currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.