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70-year-old woman sues Detroit police for $30M, accusing officers of 'violent abuse'

Posted at 8:19 AM, Sep 04, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-04 10:19:47-04

DETROIT, Mich. -- A 70-year-old woman is suing the Detroit Police Department for millions of dollars, accusing its officers of "violent abuse."

"I never in my life had handcuffs on," said the woman, Lisa Wright.

But all that changed on Nov. 20, 2019, when Wright said she and her grandson heard a commotion outside her home on Wyoming near Chippewa on Detroit's west side.

Wright's grandson opened the door and they were allegedly assaulted by police officers.

Thursday, at a press conference with her attorneys, Wright told reporters how she was forced to the ground and handcuffed.

"We didn't do anything," Wright said they tried to tell police.

"After they roughed her up and abused her for 30 minutes or so, they just released her," said Wright's attorney, Michael Fortner. "Not even an apology."

Wright, whose husband ended up rushing her to a nearby hospital where she remained for seven days, is now suing the City of Detroit and Detroit police for $30 million for alleged physical injuries, post-traumatic stress, humiliation, and mental anguish.

It all began on Nov. 20, 2019, when Detroit police officers responded to a 911 call for help at a house three doors away from Wright's home.

During that run, two police officers were shot, including officer Rasheen McClain who died from his injuries.

Immediately after the shooting, as police were searching the area for the suspect, Wright and her attorneys claim officers dragged her and her grandson out of their home and caused them injuries.

In the lawsuit, officers "subjected plaintiff to unlawful searches of her person and property, wrongful arrest/detention, unnecessary and violent abuse, false arrest, and other unconstitutional conduct."

Click on the video to hear from Wright and her attorneys.

In December, WXYZ began looking into Wright's allegations of police misconduct, and police officials said they were investigating the claims. Thursday, WXYZ asked a spokesperson from the department for an update on that investigation and was told no one was available for comment.

This story was originally published by Kimberly Craig at WXYZ.