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Connecticut Deaf Couple Receive $50,000 to Settle Pepper Spray, Excessive Force Claim

A Connecticut police department settled an excessive force claim for $50,000. This civil rights action was brought by a deaf couple who were pepper sprayed by two police officers during a domestic dispute.

The couple was hearing impaired and only communicated by sign language. When they got into a custody dispute over their seven-year-old child, the police were called. The couple claimed the police could not communicate with them and, when a dispute broke out, the officers pepper sprayed them. The officers, however, say the male plaintiff came at them with a board with nails in it, which is when they used pepper spray to take control of the situation.

The matter was settled for $50,000 on August 1, 2007. The couple was represented by Hartford attorney Frank J. Szilagyi. See: Hunt v. Torrington, USDC, D. Conn., Case No. 3:05-CV01017.

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Related legal case

Hunt v. Torrington

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