City Responds to Allegations of Police Brutality

Mobile city attorney Larry Wettermark responded to claims being made in two lawsuits over the treatment of suspects by Mobile Police. In the latest case, that of Daniel Mingo, Wettermark said preliminary autopsy results reveal that police did nothing that would have caused Mingo to stop breathing.

Daniel Mingo died last week after spending a week on life support. His attorney, Chase Dearman, claims in a lawsuit that Mingo was brought to the hospital brain dead following a traffic stop in which Mingo ran from Police. Wettermark reiterated police claims today that officers observed Mingo ingesting something they believe to be drugs. "Forty-four pills were recovered," Wettermark said, "and it's believed to be ecstasy." The attorney said the city will wait for final autopsy and toxicology reports to see if drugs Mingo may have ingested caused heart failure and ultimately his death.

The case filed on Mingo's behalf has now been moved to federal court because the suit claims Mingo's civil rights were violated. That's where Dearman has another suit pending against the City of Mobile and Mobile Police involving Christopher McClain. That suit alleges McClain was tased up to eight times and pepper-sprayed some thirteen times after he had already been placed in handcuffs and shackles. That arrest happened in 2007, when McClain was a juvenile.

In both of those cases, Wettermark said Mobile Police officers were faced with one common thread--extremely violent suspects. He says officers used a minimum amount of force that included tasing and pepper spray to bring the suspects under control.

The city attorney also said the internal investigation of the Mingo incident by Mobile Police has ended and the finding is that officers acted properly.