Incident PWCPD-01

Incident Description

(Content Warning: Racial Slur/Hate Speech)

On July 1, 2008, Robert Harrison filed a complaint under the Civil Rights Act alleging Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) officers had used excessive force against him, a Black man, on October 4, 2005. In the complaint he named PWCPD, the Chief of Police, Officer John Mora, Officer Michael Sullivan, and approximately ten officers whose identities he could not confirm.

According to the complaint:

"...Officer Mora moved toward the vehicle... He then opened the passenger door, grabbed Plaintiff’s arm, pulled him out of the car, and threw him

against it. Officer Mora refused to answer Plaintiff’s repeated questions about why he was being arrested.

Two other officers – John Doe One and John Doe Two – arrived. They picked Plaintiff up bodily while Officer Mora put him into a headlock.

"Officer Mora then dropped to the ground, causing Plaintiff’s head to hit

the pavement.

"Officer Mora ground Plaintiff’s head into the pavement and told him that he 'would learn to shut his mouth, warned [Plaintiff] that if [he] ever saw the female officer again he should not ever say anything to her,' and then punctuated the

warning by calling Plaintiff a 'f---ing n----r.'”

The story continues in the complaint.