CLEARFIELD – Two Clearfield Borough Police Officers are the subject of another legal action.
According to court documents Brian Werman has filed a lawsuit against Brian Dixon and Greg Neeper.
According to a prior Gant story Werman was charged in relation to an alleged incident that occurred on Dec. 3, 2007 on Turnpike Avenue. Police alleged that Werman drew a skinning knife on them, resisted arrest and threatened them.
Charges were then filed against Neeper and Dixon and the charges against Werman were dropped. Dixon and Neeper had the charges against them dismissed following a preliminary hearing in March 2008.
Subsequently, Dixon and Neeper filed charges against Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. That case was dismissed in federal court on March 2009.
According to the 13-page complaint, Neeper and Dixon face a number of counts, including: state-created danger, excessive force, false arrest, malicious prosecution, false arrest, defamation, invasion of privacy and another count of malicious prosecution; Dixon faces charges individually of assault and battery.
Among the allegations in his suit Werman alleges that Dixon struck him with a large flashlight multiple times, which he claims resulted in stitches to his chin and eyebrow. He also claims that Dixon handcuffed him, stood him up, then let him fall down, hitting his teeth. The complaint also accuses Dixon of causing or allowing Werman to fall down several steps.
The complaint then accuses Neeper of falsely accusing Werman of coming at the officers with a cutting instrument. It cites that two officers at the scene said they did not see Werman wielding a knife.
The complaint claims that Neeper and Dixon filed the criminal complaint intentionally, willfully and without probable cause and that it caused him public humiliation and distress. Among other items it claims that the incident caused Werman physical injuries, mental anguish, fear, pain, damage to reputation, humiliation, privacy invasion, interference with his relations to others and dealing with accusations of serious criminal offenses including attempted murder.
He’s asking that Dixon and Neeper pay court costs, attorney fees and punitive damages