Former Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck  is Named as a Defendant in the Lawsuit by an American Citizen from Somalia.  He Now is Part of the Mills Administration in Augusta.

“Black Lives Matter” Sign  Formerly on a Fence at the Maine Jewish Museum, Congress Street Until it Was Ripped Off and Destroyed. Similar Signs are Visible All Over Munjoy HIll.  Haven’t Seen One at the Portland Police Department headquarters on Middle Street, though.

A Complaint was filed last month by Mumina Ali, an American citizen, against the city of Portland, two police officers and the then Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck alleging a shocking litany of abuse against Ali, a native of Somali and her family – filed in Federal court in Portland.

The Complaint alleges that Ali “was the victim of false arrest, use of excessive force and violations of due process” by the defendants named in the civil action.

Ali experienced severe abuse in Somalia before she escaped eventually ending up here in Portland.  Since her arrival in Portland, she has not fared much better according to the Complaint that requests a jury trial and monetary damages in the amount of $750,000. to resolve the issues.  The two other defendants in the lawsuit are:  Jeffrey Druan and Suna Shaw.  Druan was a police officer with the East Bayside Community Policing Center.  Shaw was the Community Policing Coordinator for the EBCPC with supervisory authority.

For example, on one occasion, Ali’s home was searched by the Portland Police Department without  a warrant and without probable cause on multiple occasions.  “This type of conduct by the Portland Police Department…in the Somali communities of Portland was common practice.  Although black Americans account for only 7% of Portland’s population, they represent a disproportionate number of arrests.  In 2017, for example, black Americans accounted for 23% of arrests and 26.1 percent of “reported uses of force in Portland.”  A black American was almost 4 times more likely to be subjected to the use of force in 2017 than white Americans,” according to the Complaint.

A Portland Police Citizen Review Subcommittee (CRS) was utilized solely for the purpose of assessing whether a police misconduct investigation was “thorough, objective, fair and timely.”  The CRS had no authority to hold police officers accountable and always approved the investigatory actions taken by Internal Affairs.  The CRS was ineffective and used by Portland as “cover” according to the Complaint.

The complaint was filed on July 22, 2020 in Federal court by the plaintiff’s  attorney Thomas F. Hallet, of Hallett Whittle Weyrens, Portland.

Please see post herein dated August 19, 2020 on a related subject.