A San Diego man has accused sheriff\u2019s deputies who work at the downtown Central Jail of unlawfully texting his mugshot to one of his work colleagues, \u201chumiliating him and harming his reputation,\u201d following a New Year\u2019s arrest, according to a lawsuit filed in San Diego federal court.<\/p>\n
Damion Hartsfield, 45, also alleged that San Diego police officers from a downtown bicycle team wrongly arrested him on a public intoxication charge, and that he subsequently suffered a fractured shoulder when he was jostled around the back of a moving police van while handcuffed but not restrained by a seatbelt, according to the lawsuit filed last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Mr. Hartsfield was booked into the jail, an employee of the County of San Diego accessed Mr. Hartsfield\u2019s booking photo \u2026 and, with no legitimate reason, texted it to Mr. Hartsfield\u2019s colleague at work, humiliating him and harming his reputation with the suggestion that Mr. Hartsfield was guilty of a crime,\u201d the lawsuit alleged.<\/p>\n
The suit asserted that Hartsfield\u2019s arrest became \u201cfodder for office gossip\u201d and that the unlawfully released mugshot was \u201cmade into a widely circulated meme,\u201d resulting in Hartsfield being \u201cridiculed (and) humiliated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The suit alleged wrongful detention, false arrest, battery and excessive force against the San Diego police officers who arrested and transported Hartsfield, and negligence against the unidentified sheriff\u2019s employees who allegedly shared his booking photo with his co-worker. It also alleged a failure by police Chief Scott Wahl and other department leaders to properly train, supervise and discipline officers.<\/p>\n
The San Diego Police Department declined to comment Thursday, citing the pending litigation.<\/p>\n
Sheriff\u2019s spokesperson Lt. David Collins said in a statement that his office was made aware this week of the allegations that jail deputies shared Hartsfield\u2019s mugshot and that the office is investigating the allegations. Beyond that, Collins said the office does not comment on pending litigation.<\/p>\n
Sheriff\u2019s Office procedures<\/a> prohibit its employees from sharing confidential information. And California state law<\/a> strictly limits the ability of law enforcement agencies to share inmates\u2019 mugshots, especially those arrested on non-violent charges.<\/p>\n Hartsfield\u2019s lawsuit focused particularly on San Diego police\u2019s Gaslamp Enforcement Team, formerly known as the Downtown Bike Team, which he alleged is the unit that arrested him without probable cause. The team\u2019s tactics have sparked controversy after several violent arrests by its officers were captured on video<\/a> and gained wide attention online<\/a>. A San Diego County Grand Jury report<\/a> released in May suggested ways the team could soften its image and build better relationships with the public.<\/p>\n \u201cThe misconduct by the bike team repeats itself with stunning regularity because the leadership lets it happen and turns a blind eye each time community members, victims and the media bring it to the Department\u2019s attention,\u201d Julia Yoo, one of Hartsfield\u2019s attorneys, said in a statement.<\/p>\n According to the lawsuit, Hartsfield went out with a date to celebrate New Year\u2019s Eve and was staying at a Gaslamp Quarter hotel so that they wouldn\u2019t have to drive. Around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, Hartsfield and his companion had just left a restaurant and were heading to their hotel when Hartsfield struck up a conversation with a police officer.<\/p>\n During that conversation, Hartsfield faintly heard a voice say \u201cclear the area,\u201d but he alleged it was difficult to hear where the voice was coming from because of an ambulance\u2019s siren and the ongoing arrest of a woman nearby, according to the lawsuit. Hartsfield asserted that just as he finished conversing with the officer, other officers grabbed him from behind, handcuffed him, accused him of not listening to commands and arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication.<\/p>\n \u201cHartsfield had not been obstructing anyone on the sidewalk,\u201d the lawsuit asserted. \u201cHe was not impaired. He was walking, standing and speaking without difficulty.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the suit, Hartsfield was then placed in the back of a police transport van with several other individuals, but after a short drive, those individuals were released onto a street corner, leaving Hartsfield alone. The lawsuit alleged that he remained handcuffed the entire time, but was not placed in a seatbelt or otherwise restrained.<\/p>\n \u201cThe transport van accelerated at a high rate of speed and then aggressively stopped, at which point Mr. Hartsfield was forcibly tossed onto the van floor, landing on his back and right shoulder while handcuffed and unable to brace himself,\u201d the lawsuit alleged.<\/p>\n According to the lawsuit, Hartsfield remained on the floor of the van for about 15 minutes until it arrived at the Central Jail, where an officer allegedly \u201cdragged (him) out of the van.\u201d He was later diagnosed with a fractured shoulder, according to the suit.<\/p>\n