Yesterday, we filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Taunton police officer Robert Kramer and others for physically attacking our client, Joseph O’Brien, in the booking room of the police station, causing a concussion. The incident was captured on video. We sued the chief and the City of Taunton as well because they have condoned Kramer’s repeated use of excessive force.
Here is a news story by NBC10 News:
View the complete footage from the booking room here:
On June 1, 2014, Kramer arrested Mr. O’Brien on a minor charge. (He was later found not guilty at trial.) At the police station, Kramer assaulted Mr. O’Brien even though Mr. O’Brien was complying with officers’ instructions and posed no threat. Kramer yanked Mr. O’Brien’s arm around his neck, pushed him into a counter, and later pulled him to the ground. With help from two other officers, Kramer gave Mr. O’Brien several knee strikes to his head, causing a concussion.
Police Chief Edward Walsh hired an outside expert to investigate the incident. When the expert found that Kramer’s use of force was unreasonable, Walsh asked for a second opinion. The second expert agreed that Kramer used unreasonable force, so Walsh hired a third expert, who claimed that Kramer’s actions were appropriate. Citing a “conflict among the experts,” Chief Walsh found that Kramer’s use of force was proper and did not discipline him.
Officer Kramer’s assault of Mr. O’Brien is not surprising given Kramer’s history of using unreasonable force. For years, Chief Walsh has put the public in danger by letting Kramer commit misconduct with impunity. Kramer has been the subject of at least five other complaints of excessive force, none of which resulted in discipline. Attorney David Milton previously represented another individual, Celinda Kaye, who sued Kramer for excessive force; the City of Taunton paid $60,000 in to settle her claim in 2009.