COLDWATER (WKZO AM/FM) — The Coldwater Police Officer, who is seen in a police surveillance video grabbing the hair of a young female who is handcuffed and throwing her onto a cement floor, is no longer employed by the Department.
The video went viral last month and caused a public relations nightmare for the City of Coldwater and its Police Department.
It also triggered a federal lawsuit, filed by the woman, Tiffany McNeil, charging excessive force and a civil rights violation and demanding damages of $75,000 or greater.
McNeil claims Eastmead slammed her to the floor of a jail sally port while she was restrained and could not break her fall. She says she was knocked unconscious and bloodied by the officer’s actions.
The jail’s security camera recorded the incident which has been downloaded to Youtube.
When the shocking video was released to the public, many took to social media demanding that Eastmead and other officers be fired for what happened.
McNeil is also claiming police lied about the incident in their reports. McNeil was brought to the jail following a domestic incident with her husband in which she consumed alcohol.
Manager Keith Baker issued a news release Friday stating that Lewis Eastmead was no longer employed by the City as of January 12th, 2018, but did not say if he was terminated or if he resigned.
He added that because of ongoing litigation, no further comment would be made.
