Lawsuit filed against Carpentersville cops

A Carpentersville resident is suing the village and three of its police officers, claiming they used excessive force during an arrest in May last year.

In the complaint, filed May 1 in U.S. District Court, Ronnie J. Carter, 43, accuses police officers Matthew Lipke, Joseph Gutierrez and Abdiel Acevedo of using "unreasonable, excessive and unjustifiable force," including multiple shots from a Taser, in a booking room of the Carpentersville police station.

The incident occurred May 7, 2008, the suit alleges, when police responded to a domestic call on the first block of Wren Road in which a woman suffered a gash to her head.

The woman initially identified a female as her attacker, and police left without making an arrest, the suit states. Officers then were recalled to the home when the victim accused Carter of causing her head injury.

According to a police report, Carter resisted arrest, head-butted the partition in a squad car, flailed his arms and kicked at officers.

Carter - who, according to court records, has an extensive criminal history dating back to the early 1990s - was charged with aggravated battery, domestic battery, resisting a police officer and two counts of assault. All charges were subsequently dismissed.

In the suit, Carter demands a jury trial and seeks an undisclosed amount of money plus court costs.

Carpentersville police officials declined to comment.

The case is scheduled to be in court June 23.