Businessman describes Philadelphia cops as thugs.
Philadelphia police officers kicked in the teeth of a 60-year-old auto mechanic and robbed him of $34,000, the self-employed businessman claims in court.
Warren Layre and Michael Tierney, co-owners of the shop, sued Philadelphia and five of its police officers: Thomas Liciardello, Brian Reynolds, Brian Speiser, Michael Spicer, and Lt. Robert Otto, in Federal Court.
Layre says in the complaint that he was doing business as usual in his shop on the night of June 23, 2011, when plainclothes officers broke through the garage door with a battering ram.
The officers, who did not identify themselves, handcuffed Layre and two other men - nonparties Thomas Basara and Brian Timer - forced them to the floor, and ransacked the shop, claiming to be looking for "money and contraband," according to the complaint.
"Officer Reynolds told plaintiff Layre that he was an FBI agent and he had been driving all day from a case in Virginia and that he was in a bad mood and that he would 'shoot you [Plaintiff Layre] in the head, myself,'" if Plaintiff Layre didn't tell him where the drugs and the money were hidden.," the complaint states.
It continues: "Defendant Officer Liciardello then demanded to know from plaintiff Layre where all the money and drugs were hidden. When plaintiff Layre said that he didn't know what the officer was talking about, defendant Officer Liciardello struck plaintiff Layre on the back of the head with a steel pipe, which caused plaintiff Layre to lose consciousness.
"While plaintiff Layre was lying on the floor of the auto shop and beginning to regain consciousness, defendant Officer Liciardello again demanded to know where the money and drugs were hidden.
Defendant Officer Liciardello then kicked plaintiff Layre in the mouth, causing the front upper row of plaintiff Layer's teeth to separate from their roots and to bend back toward his throat. Subsequently, the entire upper room of plaintiff Layre's teeth had to be extracted by a dentist.
"Defendant Officer Liciardello then kicked plaintiff Layre twice in the scrotum. The second kick dislocated plaintiff Layre's index finger.
"Defendant Officer Liciardello then placed his service firearm to the head of plaintiff Layre and said, 'This is a .40 caliber Glock and I will blow your head off with it, you stinkin' drug junkie, if you don't tell me where the money and drugs are.'
The police then took Layre to a police station, without giving him medical attention. "Layre's face and chest were bloodied, his shirt had been torn off and his glasses were shattered," according to the complaint.
Not only that, but "Officer Liciardello spray painted his name on the shop wall," according to the complaint.
Then, the plaintiffs claim, the defendant officers looted Layre's bank account and safe deposit box, seizing more than $250,000 in direct and investment earnings, which Layre said were fully declared and documented in his tax returns over a 42-year period.
On July 14, 2011, the City of Philadelphia sealed and seized the auto shop and filed a petition for forfeiture of the property.
Layre and Tierney deny that they ever were involved in sale of illicit drugs.
They seek compensatory and punitive damages for unreasonable use of force, unlawful arrest, unlawful search and seizure, improper execution of a warrant, and malicious prosecution.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/03/27/56098.htm