A Providence, Rhode Island, man is suing city police, alleging a sergeant violated his rights by beating him while other officers watched during a traffic stop in 2013.
The Providence Journal reports that 25-year-old Joshua Robinson is accusing Sgt. David Allen and several other officers of using excessive force and assault in the March 2013 stop.
The suit filed in federal court alleges Allen struck Robinson with a flashlight after stopping him. It claims another officer arrived and punched him in the face. It says that other officers at the scene had failed to intervene.
A police report says that Allen saw Robinson try to conceal drugs when he was stopped, and a struggle ensued. The suit says no drugs were found.
The city has denied the allegations in court papers.
