Washtenaw County man allegedly thrown to the ground by police while holding burrito, now suing
Man thrown to the ground by police while holding burrito, suing
Jonathan Marko?s law firm is suing the Washtenaw County Sheriff?s Office on behalf of a man who they say was body-slammed by two deputies during an investigation into a stolen car?all while the lawyers claim he was holding nothing but a burrito.
WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man who was thrown to the ground while holding a burrito is now suing the police involved in the struggle.
Big picture view:
Jonathan Marko’s law firm is suing the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office on behalf of a man who they say was body-slammed by two deputies during an investigation into a stolen car—all while the lawyers claim he was holding nothing but a burrito.
It all happened this past July, right after the deputies drove up on a man identified as 50-year-old Edward Fussello.
It appears he had just driven up to a home in Washtenaw County when the confrontation began.
What they're saying:
Attorneys at Marko Law say the deputies were looking for a stolen Jeep Compass but claim their client was actually in a Jeep Grand Cherokee—a totally different SUV.
His lawyer, Reno Arabo, says Fussello’s life is now ruined due to the severe injuries he’s facing.
"He’s holding a burrito. It’s very clear that it is not a weapon, not threatening, and they took him down and broke his femur, and now he’s distraught about it," said attorney Reno Arabo. "He’s going to have physical and emotional issues for a very long time. There are already a lot of issues with police officers, and I’m sure he’s going to have distrust with the police for a very long time. So yeah, it’s not just physical; it’s very emotional as well."
The other side:
FOX 2 reached out to the Washtenaw County Sheriff for a comment and got a response on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
"Unfortunately, due to the ongoing legal process, we can’t comment on the specifics of this case or this portion of the video clip. What I can say is that we are reviewing all available evidence, and the complete body-worn camera footage is an important part of that review. We are committed to conducting a thorough and fair evaluation of the entire incident."
Once the legal process is complete and attorneys have finished their process, we can offer a restorative justice meeting to address any concerns moving forward as improving community and police trust is always critical to our mission, but it would be premature to comment on specifics at this time as this matter is being handled by our corporation counsel."