Gay man claims Parkersburg officers beat him

By Gary A. Harki, Staff writer
The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A gay Parkersburg man says three of the city's police officers attacked him at his home, breaking his rib and calling him homosexual slurs.

Timothy Michael Mazza, 37, says police had been questioning him about a confrontation with his neighbors and he was trying to go inside his house when the three pulled him to the ground. One of the officers then grabbed him by the neck and kicked him in the ribs, both Mazza and his partner, Kevin Swearingen, said.

"He kicked me in the ribs and he said, 'Now take that, you f--ing queer,'" Mazza said.

Mazza was then booked on two counts of assault and battery on a police officer - charges that were dismissed in magistrate court.

Mazza has filed a lawsuit in Southern District of West Virginia federal court over the allegations.

He has been off work since the alleged October beating, said lawyer John Bryan, who, along with Mike Clifford, is representing Mazza.

"Both his psychologist and his treating physician kept him off work due to his physical injuries and post-traumatic stress and depression," Bryan said.

Parkersburg Mayor Bob Newell and Police Chief Joe Martin dispute Mazza's claims. Newell said that if what Mazza claims is true, he should have talked to police - not to a lawyer and the news media.

Martin said there's no investigation into the incident because Mazza never filed a complaint with the department.

"We will let it work itself out through the civil action," he said.

Martin said he did not know of the allegations of gay slurs until questioned by a Gazette-Mail reporter on Friday.

http://wvgazette.com/News/201006260514