MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) - Five people arrested during mass protests in Ferguson, Missouri that started after US police shot dead 18-year-old Michael Brown, have filed a $40 million lawsuit, accusing police of using excessive force and violating their rights, CNN reported Friday.
The suit also includes accusations of assaults, battery and intentionally causing emotional distress during arrests that happened on August 11-13.
One of the victims said that a group of officers in military uniforms shot rubber bullets at him when he was simply walking to his mother’s house.
Police "pounced on him, slammed his face into the concrete, and pushed his head into the water to the point that he felt he was going to be drowned," CNN quoted the victim as saying.
Another victim, Kerry White stated that he was shooting a video when a police officer snatched his camera and "took out his memory card and threw it to the ground."
US policemen were using armored vehicles, high-technology weaponry and stun grenades at the protests, according to media reports.
Tactics used by US police came under sharp criticism, including from US Attorney General Eric Holder.
"At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message," Holder said last week after a meeting with US President Barack Obama.
Following public criticism, Obama has ordered to review programs of military equipment sales to local police departments.
According to a study conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union, US citizens are widely concerned with the extensive militarization of the country’s police, stating that policemen often dangerously overreact to routine situations, resulting in death and injuries to members of the community.
