Sept. 05--KEYSER, W.Va. -- The Mineral County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Ronald Anderson and Mineral County Commission are named in a civil rights suit seeking $3 million in damages filed in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg, according to The West Virginia Record.
Grant County resident Charlotte Carter claims that Anderson used excessive force when arresting her for driving under the influence two years ago.
Carter was arrested following an accident that occurred Aug. 20, 2010, at the intersection of U.S. Route 220 and Stony Run Road near Keyser. When one of her hands came loose from the handcuffs in the backseat of the cruiser, Anderson pulled Carter out of the cruiser, shoved her up against it, and then "violently forced (her) to the ground," according to the suit.
The suit alleges that both her eyes, her left jaw, hands, wrist, knees and legs were injured in the incident. She is represented by Romney attorney Lawrence Sherman Jr.
Carter was charged with DUI causing injury, second offense, obstructing and battery on a police officer. In exchange for a guilty plea, the battery charge was dismissed and the DUI with injury charge was reduced to DUI.
She was sentenced to 30 days in jail on both charges, to run concurrently, with all but four days suspended, and fined $250 and $500.80 in court costs.
Copyright 2012 - Cumberland Times-News, Md.
