Lawsuit: Excessive Police Force on Innocent Man

A federal lawsuit filed last week claims that the police department in Dolton, Illinois, tried to cover up the beating of an innocent man by department officers.

According to the suit, 29-year-old David Smith was arguing with a friend in the parking lot of Shark's restaurant in late-July when Dolton police officers punched him, threw him on the pavement and slammed him into a car hood, breaking his nose.

Smith claims that he lost consciousness after being thrown to the floor in police holding cell and was denied medical attention.

"I kept asking to be taken to the hospital, my nose was broken, and they didn't do anything," Smith said.

The man was ultimately charged with disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana, after police allegedly found a small bag of the drug on a girl in Smith's group. He was acquitted of the charges when an arresting officer changed his story of the events on the day before a planned trial.

The lawsuit names, among others, Dolton Inspector General Bob Shaw for "turning a blind eye to repeated instances of police misconduct."

The Department of Justice revealed a survey in 2004 revealing 430,000 cases of excessive force by police officers.