PORTLAND, Maine — A Portland woman who alleged Portland police officers used excessive force during an incident at Maine Medical Center in 2014 has dropped the suit. On Tuesday, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, the City of Portland announced Thursday.
Mumina Ali filed suit in U.S. District Court in Portland in July claiming two Portland police officers illegally arrested her, that she was then tied to a bed and medicated without her consent, that she fell and chipped a tooth, and that an officer choked her until she lost consciousness.
The suit named officers Jeffrey Druan and Suna Shaw, as well as former Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck, who is now commissioner of the Department of Public Safety for the state of Maine.
Ali claimed the alleged treatment fit a pattern of unconstitutional treatment by Portland police of Somali refugees and Black residents. Data subsequently released by the city and reported by the Portland Press Herald showed Black people account for a disproportionate number of arrests in the city.
Ali's original complaint said she suffered damages as a direct cause of the defendants' actions and requested that the Court award her $750,000. Ali also demanded a trial by jury on each count.
But this week the parties jointly filed a stipulation of dismissal saying they agreed the case would be dismissed with prejudice. The city says there was no settlement.
“This matter was investigated by the department’s Internal Affairs Division in 2014, at which time the officer was cleared of any wrongdoing,” Portland Police Chief Frank Clark said in a statement Thursday. “I reviewed that investigation earlier this year, to include video and audio evidence, and concurred with the original findings. The evidence simply did not support the allegation that the officer choked or otherwise used excessive force against anyone. This is a just outcome to this matter, and I’m glad to have it concluded.”
