Courant.com
By: MIKAELA PORTER and DAVE ALTIMARI,
mmporter@courant.com
Published: SEPTEMBER 17, 2014, 5:06 PM
ENFIELD – A seventh person has filed a notice of intent to sue after being arrested by K-9 officer Matthew Worden.
David McAlmond, 38, of Enfield alleges Worden and three other officers used excessive force during the March 2012 arrest.
In the notice, McAlmond claims he suffered bruises, sprains and contusions over his entire body including his head, back upper and lower limbs, as well as multiple canine bites on his back, neck, upper and lower limbs. McAlmond also alleges the arrest has caused psychological harm and trauma including post traumatic stress disorder.
A portion of the police report from the incident has been blacked-out because all charges except for operating with a suspended license and improper parking have been dismissed in court. McAlmond's lawyer A. Paul Spinella said one of the charges dropped in court was resisting arrest.
Spinella said that McAlmond was bitten by Worden's dog and dragged from his car.
According to Worden's report, McAlmond's license had been suspended twice: Aug. 24, 2011 and Dec. 21, 2011 and Worden pulled him over after McAlmond's Jeep parked in front of a "No Parking" sign on Summer Street.
Worden said he "observed clear signs that he may [have been] under the influence of cocaine or another type of narcotic… his arm and head were involuntarily jerking back and forth and [his] mouth made smacking noises while he spoke."
Worden said he asked McAlmond to turn off his car and get out. Worden said McAlmond did turn his car off, left the keys in the ignition but said he would not get out of the Jeep.
"As McAlmond said this I saw his right hand reaching towards the ignition and I immediately believed he was reaching to start his Jeep and leave," the police report says.
McAlmond told Worden, as he "was squirming in his seat," that he had a knife on him. Worden called for additional backup and four officers arrived shortly.
Worden said a "black metal police style baton" was sitting next to McAlmond's right leg and he was placed under arrest. The only items left on the redacted police report indicated McAlmond had $416 and a folding knife. Three other items were found on McAlmond but they have been blacked out of the report.
Worden said McAlmond would not remain still during the search and began yelling and dropping to his knees when officers tried to bring him to a cruiser.
"McAlmond's struggling increased to the point that K-9 Falco deployed from my driver's side window… passed several police officers… jump[ed] onto McAlmond taking him to the ground," the report says.
Worden said Falco was on McAlmond for approximately 2-5 seconds.
Worden said he searched McAlmond's Jeep. The report indicates he found $1,000 "loosely stored in the center console next to the Webster Bank envelope." Two other items were found in the Jeep but they are not identified.
McAlmond was taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital for treatment.
McAlmond is the seventh person to file a notice of intent to sue against Worden. Worden has been the subject of 14 internal affairs investigations over the past seven years, the majority over complaints and claims that he was rude or discourteous. Allegations range from rudeness and discourteous conduct to excessive force and racial profiling.
He has been placed on paid administrative leave since April.
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