Dierra Fields Sues Akron City and Police After Body-Slam Incident
Dierra Fields, body-slammed by police, files a federal lawsuit against Akron and its officers for excessive force and wrongful arrest
Dierra Fields, Akron, Ohio, Police Misconduct, Excessive Force, Lawsuit
Akron: Dierra Fields is making headlines after she filed a lawsuit against the city of Akron and several police officers. This all started when an officer body-slammed her during a family dispute back in January 2024.
Her attorney, Imokhai Okolo, filed the suit in federal court, naming Officer Thomas Shoemaker, Sgt. Timothy Shmigal, and Chief Brian Harding as defendants. Fields claims they used excessive force and wrongfully arrested her.
The lawsuit outlines six serious allegations, including assault and negligence. It’s pretty intense, and it seems like Fields is really looking for justice after what happened.
City spokeswoman Stephanie Marsh didn’t have much to say about it when asked. The Beacon Journal tried to get a comment from Okolo but hasn’t heard back yet.
According to the suit, Shoemaker slammed Fields to the ground and arrested her without her resisting. It claims she posed no threat at all. Later, a jury found her not guilty of the charges against her, which is a big deal.
Shmigal, who was supposed to step in, didn’t do anything while Shoemaker was using force. That’s a big part of the lawsuit too. An independent police auditor even said Shoemaker’s actions were unjustified, but the chief didn’t agree.
The lawsuit also mentions a previous case where Shoemaker was involved in another incident of police violence. It seems like there’s a pattern here that Fields’ suit is trying to highlight.
Fields is claiming she suffered injuries and emotional distress from the incident. She’s looking for damages and wants a jury trial to sort this all out.
It’s a tough situation, and it’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds in court.