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Lawsuit: Mesa man claims police officers assaulted him while trying to report a crime at quinceañera party

The plaintiff claims he tried to report another man's inappropriate conduct at the party and officers responded by assaulting him.

MESA, Ariz. — A Valley man is suing the City of Mesa after he claims police officers violently assaulted him during a teenager's quinceañera celebration.

According to a lawsuit filed by Daniel Barraza, the Mesa Police Department was dispatched to the 15-year-old girl's party on Oct. 2, 2022 after one of the party guests started harassing some of the young attendees.

Barraza claims he confronted the intoxicated man who was behaving inappropriately and then tried to explain to officers what had occurred.

While attempting to speak to an officer, Barraza claims the officer randomly pushed him and threw him to the ground. The plaintiff claims he was then hit in the face multiple times and struck twice with a taser, according to Barraza's lawsuit.

The plaintiff is demanding up to $30 million in damages for the severe head injuries he claims to have sustained during the incident.

Several city and police officials are listed as defendants in the excessive force lawsuit, which has been transferred to federal court for litigation.

Mesa police declined to comment on the pending lawsuit. 12News has submitted requests for the body-worn camera footage from the Oct. 2 incident.

   

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