Emirati files lawsuit against police mistreatment in US

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Abu Dhabi: Ahmad Al Menhali, the Emirati businessman and father of three who was arrested last year by armed police during a visit to the US, has filed a lawsuit after his ordeal.

Al Menhali, who was in the US for medical treatment, was surrounded by armed police officers as he stood outside the Marriott-owned Fairfield Inn and Suites in Avon, Ohio, following a hotel staff member’s call to the authorities reporting that Al Menhali was pledging allegiance to Daesh.

Body cam footage from the police was later made public, and showed the police using heavy force against Al Menhali and ordering him to the ground and handcuffing him while pointing their weapons at him. The incident caused Al Menhali to have a panic attack which required him to go to the hospital for treatment.

Police subsequently discovered that there was no cause for an arrest, after determining that Al Menhali had made no pro-Daesh remarks, and that the hotel staff member who made the call to the police was mistaken and had passed on wrong information. The police and local mayor Bryan Jensen then issued an apology to Al Menhali, and called it an “unfortunate incident”.

Al Menhali’s case was initially refused by the State of Ohio. The case is now being referred to a US federal court after Al Menhali changed his legal team.

The 30-page lawsuit, which was drawn up by Al Menhali’s legal team, has been worked on for several months gathering all necessary documentation and evidence required to mount a federal legal case.

The lawsuit issues complaints against the Avon local police department, the Fairfield Inn and Suites, and Marriott International. The lawsuit cites the excessive force used by the police against Al Menhali, and his wrongful arrest based on false information.

In response to the lawsuit, Mayor Jenson once again extended his apologies to Al Menhali, but also defended the actions of the police officers, who he says were following protocol.

“We have just received and are still reviewing the complaint filed in federal court regarding the unfortunate June 29, 2016, incident involving Ahmad Al Menhali of the United Arab Emirates,” he said in a press release.

“Police rushed to the scene, only to determine the allegations were false … We reiterate how sorry we are that this incident occurred. However, given the information we received at the time from the 911 caller, we continue to support our officers, who followed the appropriate procedures and protocols the department uses when a possible active threat has been identified,” the statement added.

by Abdulla Rasheed Abu Dhabi Editor Sami Zaatari Staff Reporter