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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Cops Rough Up One of Their Own

PHILADELPHIA (CN) - Philadelphia police officers beat another officer and threatened him with Tasers when he tried to turn in illegal guns as part of the city's no-questions-asked firearms return policy, the sergeant claims in court.

Police Sgt. Sergeant Brandon Ruff sued the City of Philadelphia, police Officer Long, and seven Doe officers, on Monday in Federal Court.

Ruff claims says he got the guns through a friend who had offered illegal owners money to get guns out of the hands of criminals. The friend contacted Ruff and asked him if he could turn them in to the department.

When Ruff did so, the desk officer "began berating plaintiff and plaintiff requested the presence of a supervisor," Ruff says in the complaint.

Other officers demanded to know where he had got the guns, and demanded his ID, which Ruff showed them. When he went outside to make a phone call, an officer grabbed his hands and attempted to arrest him before "approximately 5-7 police officers confronted plaintiff shouting at him," the complaint states.

One officer stood in front of him and shouted, "I'll fucking Taze you," Ruff says in the lawsuit.

Ruff's gun was confiscated and he was brought inside and told to sit down.

When he told the officer, "No, I'm upset, I don't want to sit down," the officer "began kicking at the back of plaintiff's legs in an attempt to sweep his legs to make him fall onto the ground," the complaint states. "Plaintiff then sat down."

Ruff says he was sent to Internal Affairs and was released after a few hours after signing a document relinquishing his firearm and his police powers while he was under investigation. He was sent to a hospital pending the outcome of the investigation.

Ruff seeks punitive damages for false arrest, deliberate indifference, assault, malicious prosecution, failure to train and discipline, and "evidence planting of citizens."

He is represented by Michael Pileggi.

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