Aliquippa Man Says He Was Beaten, Terrorized And Shot At By Raccoon Township Police Officer
ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (KDKA) -- A man from Aliquippa says he was beaten, terrorized and shot at by a Raccoon Township police officer.
He has now filed a federal lawsuit. State police, who are named in the lawsuit, are investigating.
The allegations are outlined in the federal lawsuit. Emmit Willis, 23, claims he was delivering groceries when an officer in an unmarked police car pulled him over. He claims he was beaten, shot at but not charged with a crime. Willis says it happened on Patterson Road in Raccoon Township.
Willis told KDKA, "I was on my face, face down on the ground, hands behind my back, in the process being cuffed when he discharged his weapon and missed me very narrowly to the left small of the back."
His attorney Alec Wright added, "Whether it's because of his skin color, or the way he looks or some vendetta that an officer with too much authority has over him, he ends up where he could have lost his life."
Willis says he was held for hours on suspicion of driving under the influence but was released. State police say they are investigating and will turn their findings over to the Beaver County District Attorney's Office.
Willis told KDKA's Paul Martino he drives in fear.
"There was nothing in me that expected a police officer in an unmarked vehicle to just be at my side, pointing a weapon at me," Willis said.