Man Falsely Arrested For Assaulting Pregnant Woman Sues City
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A man who was falsely arrested for assaulting a pregnant woman is now suing the City of Pittsburgh.
Last November, charges of aggravated assault, robbery, indecent assault and aggravated assault of an unborn child were all dropped against Rex Coughenour.
He was facing the rest of his life in prison.
Coughenour was grabbed by police on the South Side while walking home last year. He was wrongfully accused of attacking a pregnant woman.
Surveillance video proved he did not do it.
Before that happened, he had already spent two months in the Allegheny County Jail.
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On Wednesday, Coughenour filed a federal lawsuit.
It states: "Mr. Coughenour was not the assailant and had nothing whatsoever to do with the attack on the victim."
It goes on to say: "Mr. Coughenour was subjected to withering public shame. The arrest and seizure of Mr. Coughenour constitutes… false arrest and is a violation of Mr. Coughenour's rights against arrest without probable cause."
KDKA's Marty Griffin spoke to Coughenour and his attorney on Wednesday afternoon.
Coughenour says he is pleased the lawsuit has been filed. His attorney, Steven Stallings, calls it a "horrible story." He says "Pittsburgh Police just got the wrong guy. He was completely innocent."