CHICAGO (AP) – A federal appeals court in Chicago has sided with a suburban police sergeant sued for allegedly using excessive force by using a Taser four times on a suspect as he was booked on suspicion of harassing his girlfriend.
The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reports Wednesday that the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded the Joliet officer, Sherrie Blackburn, had qualified immunity. That reverses a decision by a lower court to let the suit proceed.
Patrick Ryan Dockery claimed the sergeant violated his rights by using excessive force to subdue him. But the appeals court says Blackburn acted reasonably in deploying the stun gun against an uncooperative Dockery during the 2011 incident.
Dockery was later convicted of trespassing. A message left for his lawyer Wednesday wasn’t returned.
