ST. LOUIS - Law enforcement defendants in an assault and malicious prosecution lawsuit are attempting to have the case heard in St. Louis federal court.
Those defendants include the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department, Lincoln County Jail and a number of law enforcement officers who were sued a year ago in the Lincoln County Circuit Court. On April 7, they removed the case to federal court.
The entire list of individual defendants includes: Bradley Beeman, a Lincoln County Sheriff's Department Detective; Mason McNail, a Lincoln County Sheriff's Department Detective; Kevin Gugliano, a Lincoln County Sheriff's Department Detective; Timothy Livingston, a Lincoln County Sheriff's Department Detective; Rebecca Carroll, a Lincoln County Jail Correctional Officer; Katie Brooks, a Lincoln County Jail Correctional Officer; and John Cottel, Lincoln County Sheriff.
The defendants were completing an investigation at the address of 2 Pico Court in Moscow Mils on April 20, 2018. While plaintiff Matthew Cartia was a resident at the address, the investigation allegedly did not involve him in any way.
Cartia arrived at the address with his fiance plaintiff Autumn Adams while the defendant officers were still present.
The plaintiffs began to lawfully record the defendants, the suit says. When the plaintiffs refused to stop recording, the detectives allegedly wrongfully arrested Cartia despite no crime being committed.
While handcuffed, Cartia says he was kicked, punched, choked, pushed and slammed into the ground by the defendants. Adams says she was also arrested with unnecessary violence.
After being detained, the plaintiffs further allege that the defendant correctional officers wrongfully denied them basic hygienic necessities such as using the restroom and getting drinks of water.
The plaintiffs were charged with resisting arrest and interfering with a government investigation.
The defendants are charged in the lawsuit with assault and battery, malicious prosecution, false arrest and imprisonment, unreasonable seizure, unlawful arrest, excessive force, negligence in dereliction of ministerial duties and cruel and unusual punishment, totaling nearly a half-million in demanded restitution.
The plaintiffs are represented by A.G. Laramore LLC of St. Louis.