Allegations:
Pugh, a 63-year-old retired firefighter with a disability, was sitting in his parked car with a friend in a McDonald's parking lot when Officer Amador, dressed in plain clothes, approached them. Without justification or warning, Amador reached through Pugh's window and hit him in the face with his gun. At the same time, other officers dragged Pugh's friend out of the car and beat him. The only reason officers did not beat Pugh was because he pleaded with them not to aggravate his disability. Amador accused Pugh of being a drug dealer. Officers handcuffed Pugh and his friend and searched his car. Amador claimed to find a tin foil packet with less than 0.1 grams of heroin. Officers took Pugh and his friend to the Homan Square facility, where he was interrogated without being read his rights. Officers later brought the two back to the McDonald's, bought them dinner, then took them to a police station, where they were finally processed. The criminal charges against Pugh were later dismissed. He was forced to pay more than $6,000 to get back his car, which had been impounded and was damaged.