Family Sues Two Virginia Officers, Accuses Excessive Force

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia family has filed a lawsuit against two police officers who the group claim unjustifiably attacked them while responding to a car crash in 2019.

In the lawsuit, Elder Chacon, Brenda Samayoa and their 12-year-old daughter stated two Richmond police officers used excessive force and inflicted emotional distress after shooting Chacon with a stun gun and pushing Samayoa and the child to the ground.

According to the suit, the family was involved in a four-car crash on Aug. 7, 2019. Two officers responded to the scene and the daughter spoke for her parents, who do not speak English fluently.

The daughter tried to explain the incident, telling officers that a vehicle struck the family from behind and fled the scene, according to the lawsuit. The officers are accused of ignoring the explanation and then writing Chacon a ticket, which he refused to sign.

The suit said one officer became enraged, threw his clipboard down and “violently grabbed” at Chacon.

Samayoa stepped between the two men but the officer pushed her into her daughter and forced Chacon onto the ground, the lawsuit said.

One officer is accused of punching Chacon in the head and body, and the lawsuit also accuses the other officer of later shooting Chacon with a stun gun.

Chacon was charged with assault on a law enforcement officer but the charge was ultimately dropped.

Family attorney Jonathan E. Halperin told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the police-worn body camera footage of the incident was disturbing. He declined to comment any further and also declined to release the video to the news outlet.

Richmond police declined to comment on the pending litigation.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday and seeks $2 million in damages.