As reported by the Hartford Courant, a man has filed a lawsuit claiming that he suffered anxiety, economic loss and other personal injury issues when police and first responders kidnapped him from his home and forcibly took him to a hospital for treatment he didn’t want.
South Windsor resident, A.S., filed the suit in Hartford Superior Court on March 14. He contends that during a 2010 incident both police and medical personnel, believing that A.S. was on the verge of having a heart attack, slammed him onto his floor, handcuffed him and forced him into an ambulance to transport him to the Manchester Memorial Hospital.
A.S., along with his wife, N.M., claim that the incident caused them to suffer personal injuries that included, among other items, economic loss, humiliation, mortification and anxiety.
A.S. further claims in the suit that his rights of due process and privacy against unreasonable seizure and forced medical treatment, rights under the U.S. and state constitutions, were violated.
Manchester Memorial Hospital and the Ambulance Service of Manchester are named as defendants. Unspecified damages are sought as well as police officers completing mandatory training in detention and use of force.
On December 23, 2010, Dr. M.U. saw A.S. for a chief complaint of an ache in his lungs – A.S., a smoker of 40 years, had felt the ache begin in November. After the initial exam Dr. M.U. told A.S. that to rule out a heart problem, he needed to have a chest X-ray taken at Hartford Hospital.
The suit outlines the actions that then took place as: Dr. M.U. called for an ambulance, A.S. refused to take the ambulance saying that he wasn’t having a heart problem, A.S. signed an “against medical advice” release Dr. M.U. gave him and A.S. told the ambulance personnel he wouldn’t go with him.
From there Manchester and South Windsor police were informed that A.S. refused to get in the ambulance, officers from both departments tried ordering A.S. to go the hospital, and threatened him with a “Police Emergency Examination Report” that would allow police to commit him.
The police report, attached to the lawsuit, states that Dr. M.U.’s assistant told police that A.S. was ordered to have medical treatment and “that it was extremely dangerous for him to be driving."
Officers then drove to A.S.’s home. The suit claims that an officer “violently grabbed” A.S. by the arm and said, “You are going to the hospital and this is not up for discussion.”
That is when, according to the suit, A.S. was pushed to the ground and handcuffed.
In the police report, an officer noted that A.S. smelled of alcohol, was agitated and that the reason force was used was because “I did not want him to lock himself in a room or go for a weapon, as he was very angry.”
The police report stated that A.S. was “taken to the ground to more effectively control his arms. I could see that (A.S.'s) head hit the floor when he was taken to the ground."
If you have a case of personal injury, contact a personal injury lawyer.Monetary awards and change can only happen if you hire a lawyer for help.