A former Hapeville police officer is facing legal action after a disturbing incident involving the use of a Taser on a 64-year-old man while in custody. Robert Martin, the elderly man in question, intends to sue the City of Hapeville following an attack that he described as torture at the hands of the now-dismissed officer, Shevoy Brown. The violent encounter, recorded on video, shows the officer utilizing a Taser on Martin multiple times, an act that has since led to Brown's arrest and the filing of charges including violation of oath of office and battery, as FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
According to Martin, the June 3 incident began with a disagreement over personal belongings at an apartment complex on Sims Street, where a woman he had been staying with for six months asked him to leave. Detailing the assault to Channel 2's Tom Jones, Martin recounted how Brown, while he was detained and handcuffed, "came in there while I was handcuffed and stripped me down naked and hit me in my private area, everything, and I was like in shock, and he hit me about four times." Brown was already on suspension for a previous unrelated case at the time of the incident.
The Hapeville Police Department, led by Chief Bruce Hedley, acted swiftly upon reviewing the footage of the altercation by terminating Brown's employment and referring the case to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Brown's attorney, Jackie "The Fly Lawyer" Patterson, has demanded that the city compensate Martin with a $2 million settlement, threatening a $20 million lawsuit should the city refuse, according to a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. The Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council (POST) is also taking action, pursuing an immediate felony suspension for Brown, with the potential for revocation upon the conclusion of the criminal case.
Martin, still reeling from the pain and psychological impact of the tasing, expressed his relief that the footage was reviewed by law enforcement officials affirming, "I’m glad by the grace of God that they saw that." The review found that Brown had engaged in the use of repeated Taser stuns in an unauthorized manner outside the department's standard operating procedure. Describing the trauma to Channel 2's Tom Jones, Martin said, "They had me shaking. They had me like I was in a shock. I started hollering. Argh. argh. argh." Brown, who is currently out on bond, was unable to provide his side of the story when contacted for comment.
