Family files complaint over arrest

The Casey family of Central Toledo is questioning the way Toledo police handled the arrest of their loved one.

The family stand by their words saying 14-year-old Trevor Casey was beaten and choked by two officers in the Brand Whitlock apartment complex in the central city early Friday evening. He was then taken away to the Juvenile Justice Center downtown.

The alleged police brutality was captured on a witnesses' cell phone and then posted on YouTube.com.

After a weekend stay downtown, Trevor was in juvenile court on charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest.

After that court appearance, the Caseys went over to Toledo police's internal affairs unit and filed an excessive force complaint.

"I don't agree with it," said David Casey, the victim's brother. "I think that it is very unhonorable on their part, but I'm going to leave it up to the justice system."

The graphic video clip showed some of what Trevor had to deal with May 15.

Witnesses said the actions by two police officers happened after Trevor was slow to move when he was asked to get off a porch at the Brand Whitlock Homes. Because the teenager didn't follow orders, witnesses allege the brutality.

"They just started to throw him around, throw him up on the car, choke him," David recalls. "That was brief, but as they threw him in the car, the engine was hot. Because of that, he was raising up. They saw it as resistance. At that point that was when they started to hit him."

Photos taken after the alleged resistance with the police officers show Trevor's face bloodied a swollen. He was taken to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.

Though Toledo police officials have not spoken officially about this incident, a police report was filed. The report said things went down quite differently Friday evening than what witnesses and family stated.

The reporting officer claims that Trevor was asked several times to leave the front porch, after loitering. When he wouldn't comply, officers tried to arrest the teen, but he struggled. The strugle led to a full fight.

Trevor also allegedly hit one of the officers in the chest, the report stated. The officers applied joint pressure and body strikes to the teen. Still, the the report states that teen did not comply.

Police also said the teen had been smoking marijuana.

City Council candidate Stephen Ward said this matter needs to be looked into and not dismissed.

"It has to be investigated," he said. "If the findings prove that what was done, was done unjustly, they need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law."

Trevor is due back in court June 2 with his lawyer.

In a news conference Monday afternoon, Ward decried the actions of the two Toledo police officers.

Ward, a minister, said not all police are bad, but some are abusing their powers.

"This is not an issue of race; it’s an issue of power," Ward told the media and residents who gathered where the alleged assault took place. The two officers involved were black.

He went onto say that the city needs to get rid of those who abuse their power. Police are supposed to protect and serve the citizens of Toledo, even if morale is low and stress is high because of the recent police layoffs, he said.

Casey’s older brother, Vincent, spoke at the news conference, too. He said the family has retained attorney Lafe Tolliver and referred questions to him. Vincent did say that his brother is not an angel, but he is not a criminal, either. The family has filed a complaint with the police department.

“He never caused too much trouble,” Vincent said … “I believe he didn’t move as fast as [the police] wanted."

(Brandi Barhite of the Toledo Free Press, a FOXToledo.com media partner contributed to this report; news conference video courtesy: Lisa Renee Ward, GlassCityJungle.com )