PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio — A second lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court against the Village of Put-in-Bay and former members of the village’s police department who have been accused of using excessive force against a group of African-American vacationers on two separate occasions.
Ven Johnson, a Detroit attorney, will represent Sandusky residents Diamone Wilson, Panzie Hunter, Paris Hunter, and Ryan Hollingshed, who are seeking $75,000 in damages from Michael Russo, Terry Rutledge, and the village, after a routine traffic stop on June 6 escalated, resulting in both former officers drawing their weapons and threatening to shoot. The officers additionally deployed their tasers against Mr. Hollingshed multiple times, and took several individuals into custody.
At the time of the incident in question, Mr. Russo was a lieutenant with Put-in-Bay police, while Mr. Rutledge was a corporal. They have both since resigned under their own will, Interim Chief of Police James Kimble said Monday.
The plaintiffs are not facing criminal charges, Mr. Johnson said.
“Sadly missing are any charges against [Lieutenant Russo] himself because he used excessive force and, technically speaking, battered each and every one of these people,” Mr. Johnson alleged.
Mr. Johnson is also representing Monica Gulledge and Lyle Taylor, of Westland, Mich., who filed a separate complaint Thursday in U.S. District Court after another incident involving a golf cart resulted in Ms. Gulledge being allegedly body slammed by Lieutenant Russo, and Mr. Taylor being wrongfully detained.
The plaintiffs in that case are also seeking $75,000 from Mr. Russo, Mr. Rutledge, and the village. Dwayne Webb, a former officer who also resigned from the Put-in-Bay department, is additionally included as a defendant in the Gulledge-Taylor suit. Mr. Webb was an officer at the time of the incident.
Chief Kimble on Monday declined to discuss specific details about the reasons behind the officers’ resignations.
In both case, Mr. Johnson said that Mr. Russo appeared to be responsible for what the attorney said was excessive use of force, but he included the other ex-officers in the lawsuit because they may have failed to prevent the escalation.
“When other officers are around another officer who is clearly engaging in excessive use of force, they have an absolute obligation under the law to intervene and put a stop to the excessive force,” Mr. Johnson said.
“If it turns out that after further investigation, they didn’t do anything wrong we will obviously dismiss them from the lawsuit,” he said.
Mr. Johnson also included the village in both lawsuits because he believes they were aware that Mr. Russo had a history of excessive use of force. The officer was previously investigated for excessive force at least twice while serving in the Maple Heights, Ohio, police department.
Attempts to contact Mr. Russo, Mr. Webb, Mr. Rutledge, and the village’s mayor, Jessica Dress, were unsuccessful.
There has so far been no legal response from any of the defendants who have yet to be officially served.
First Published November 10, 2020, 12:00 p.m.
