A man who was paid a settlement in 2011 by Montgomery over allegations of police misconduct is suing the town and some of its officers again, alleging that he was attacked by police in retaliation for the first lawsuit.
Warrenville resident George Taylor’s new lawsuit, filed in June, alleges that three Montgomery police officers “physically attacked” him outside his girlfriend’s Montgomery home Feb. 21, 2014.
Two of the officers also were named defendants in Taylor’s first lawsuit, which was filed in 2010 in connection to an October 2009 incident.
Taylor, 38, and another plaintiff settled that lawsuit for $37,500, and it was dismissed in August 2011, according to federal court records.
The latest lawsuit alleges that “the beating and subsequent unlawful arrest” had nothing to do with Taylor’s conduct on that day, but was instead “motivated by a desire to retaliate against Taylor,” according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The current lawsuit also names the village of Montgomery, Police Chief Daniel Meyers, Kendall County, Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird and a Kendall County deputy as defendants.
“The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office denies the allegations set forth in Mr. Taylor’s complaint and will defend this position in the proper venue as outlined by judicial proceedings,” Baird said Tuesday via email.
Meyers declined to comment on the case.
Taylor was visiting his girlfriend’s residence on the afternoon of Feb. 21, 2014, when she alerted Taylor that Montgomery officers were outside questioning her son, the lawsuit states.
Taylor went outside to see what was happening and was grabbed by three officers “within seconds,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit states that one officer grabbed Taylor around the throat and choked him before all three officers threw him to the ground.
Taylor was beaten by the officers for several minutes, according to the lawsuit.
“Taylor never resisted during the unlawful arrest and instead he tried to remain as still as possible repeatedly stating, ‘It’s all good’ and ‘cuff me’ in order to tell the officers he is cooperating,” the lawsuit states.
He was charged with obstructing identification and resisting, but was found not guilty, according to Kendall County court records.
“At no point did Taylor obstruct justice or commit any crimes whatsoever,” the lawsuit states. “In fact, the charges are false.”
The lawsuit alleges that Taylor’s beating and arrest “were motivated by a desire to retaliate” against him due to the 2010 lawsuit, which alleged that Taylor and a minivan full of children and other adults was stopped and detained in October 2009 without cause.
Beacon reporters Steve Lord and Erika Wurst contributed.
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