Plaintiff:
Rhonda Scruggs
Incident date:
11/02/2008
Location:
3301 N. Pulaski Rd.
Allegations:
Scrugg's 17-year-old son had lost his cell phone and was going to pick it up from a man who had found it at a CVS store. Uncomfortable with her son meeting a stranger alone, Scruggs walked with him to the store. On the way, Scruggs received a call from her son's cell phone. She answered and explained to the man on the line that they were on their way to pick up the phone. When they arrived outside the CVS, Scruggs called her son's phone to tell the man they were there. He said he was inside and was walking toward the front of the store. Officer Cassidy, wearing a dark jacket, suddenly rushed out of the store and grabbed Scruggs' arms, pushing her backward. Stunned, Scruggs explained she was simply there to pick up her son's phone. Several police cars and unmarked cars pulled up to the scene, with multiple officers exiting the cars. Cassidy ordered Scruggs to empty her pockets. Scruggs placed her keys, cell phone, driver's license and insurance card on an unmarked car nearby. The officers looked through her cell phone while Officer Pronek grabbed Scruggs from behind, handcuffed her and arrested her. Scruggs was taken to a police station, held overnight and charged with resisting and obstructing an officer. Because of this incident, Scruggs had difficulty breathing and was taken to a hospital for treatment. The following morning, she was told to wait for her son to be released before leaving the station. She had not known he was being held there too. Scruggs later learned the officers outside CVS had used her keys and driver's license to locate and enter her home, illegally searching it without a warrant or her consent. There, the officers had arrested her son at gunpoint. The case against Scruggs was ultimately dismissed.