For the third time in four months, Stephen and Abigail Rehfuss scored another hard fought victory in a civil rights trial in the United States Federal District Court. Over a period of 23 days, the jury heard testimony regarding allegations of police brutality arising out of an incident which occurred on June 20, 2013 when two boys, ages 12 and 14, were engaged in a fight on the last day of school and an officer attempted to break it up. The plaintiff, a 12 year old boy at the time, claimed to have suffered a fractured vertebrae, migraines, brain trauma and double vision allegedly caused during his arrest and detention. The plaintiff produced proof from 5 expert witnesses in the field of orthopedics, neurology, optometry, emergency room medicine and use of force in support of his claim.
The police officer presented video evidence of a fight the young man had been involved in several minutes prior to the arrival of the police along with the eyewitness testimony of adults present at the incident who testified that the officer was professional, acted with restraint and should have been commended for actions.
Despite the trial lasting 23 days, the jury returned its verdict in favor of the police officer dismissing the complaint in its entirety after having deliberated for only 1 hour and 45 minutes.