Lawsuit: Deputies, troopers beat Hattiesburg man

Published 9:44 am Monday, October 8, 2012

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — A Hattiesburg man claims that state troopers and Forrest County sheriff’s deputies beat him after he demanded a breath test, then accused him of refusing the test.

Derrick Steverson has sued the county and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

Sheriff’s Office attorney James Dukes Jr. said Steverson fought with officers on the way to the breathalyzer room in May 2011, The Hattiesburg American (http://hatne.ws/SVayKa) reported.

“This case is really and truly no different from any other, except you’ve got two agencies involved,” Dukes said. “A drunk is a drunk is a drunk — you occasionally have to use reasonable force to restrain them.”

The lawsuit was moved from county court to federal court in September.

It alleges that Steverson was arrested at a gas station where he hitchhiked for help after his car burst into flames and he drove off of U.S. 49.

“A Forrest County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived on the scene and soon thereafter placed the plaintiff in handcuffs in the back of the deputy’s vehicle,” the suit alleged. It said a state trooper ticketed him with careless driving and driving under the influence, then took him to jail.

The suit also accused the jail of withholding or destroying video of the incident during Steverson’s DUI prosecution.

Dukes said no video was altered or destroyed, but the stationary camera recorded only what was in its field.

“We look forward to being in the new jail this county has spent so much money on because there will be cameras everywhere,” Dukes said.

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Information from: The Hattiesburg American, http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com