News

Police Beating Led to Miscarriage, Lawsuit Says

July 12, 2010

July 8, 2010 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA– Metro police are reviewing a woman’s claim that a beating from a police officer caused her to lose her unborn child, said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Paul Ciesielski. “I have begun a review process of the arrest of Ms. LaDonna Dixon,” he said in a statement Wednesday. “We have decided to voluntarily review this arrest and will release more information once this review is completed.” In a lawsuit filed June 24 in U.S. District Court, Dixon claims officer Scott Childers struck, kicked and used a chemical spray on her when he arrested her on charged of obstructing medics and resisting law enforcement in June 2009. After the beating, Dixon claims, she miscarried. Dixon’s suit claims she was trying to take medicine to a friend being treated by medics for a seizure when Childers stopped her in front of her home in the 6100 Block of Nelson Court on June 21, 2009. Dixon told Childers she was pregnant, but the officer beat her anyway, according to the suit. She claims she miscarried while being booked at the Arrestee Processing Center, the suit said. In a police report on the incident, Childers said Dixon was interfering with medics who were trying to assist the injured woman. Dixon, the report said, ignored orders to go back inside her house and began screaming and cursing. Childers reported that he told Dixon she was under arrest. She refused to cooperate, the report said, so Childers placed Dixon in an arm lock and struck her leg with his knee, “causing her to fall from the small porch into the front yard.” Dixon continued resisting in the front yard, the report said, so Childers “administered several empty hand strikes to Dixon’s shoulder and arm area with no effect.” He then used chemical spray to subdue Dixon, the report said. Another officer arrived and helped Childers handcuff Dixon. The report makes no mention of Dixon’s pregnancy. The charges were dismissed, records show.