Jury Clears Peabody Police Officers In Excessive Force Case

PEABODY, MA — A federal court jury ruled in favor of Peabody police officers, the department and the city Tuesday in a civil trial filed by a North Reading man who accused the department of using excessive force and wrongfully arresting him when he was 16. Peabody police arrested Tyler Leger-Broskey in March 2015 for trespassing at a McDonald's restaurant. The jury deliberated for more than four hours before delivering its verdict.

Defense attorneys were able to convince the jury that Leger-Broskey's accusation that he was thrown against a concrete wall was "not reasonable or credible." Last week, attorneys for Leger-Broskey offered testimony from a neurologist who examined him about a week after he was arrested and found he had concussion symptoms.

In his initial complaint, Leger-Broskey claimed police officers falsely arrested him and beat him so severely that, more than four years later, he continues to suffer from seizures. According to court documents, Peabody police were called to the McDonald's at 133 Main Street on March 28, 2015 for a report of two teenagers smoking marijuana in the bathroom.

Officers James McGovern and Antonio Santos found Leger-Broskey, then 16, and a friend walking near the restaurant. The police officers confiscated a small amount of marijuana. Leger-Broskey and his friend were released, and but were arrested after they returned to the restaurant to clean food that had spilled on their clothing.