The City of East Ridge and three police officers are the defendants in another lawsuit alleging excessive use of force.

Attorney Robin Flores filed the suit on behalf of Johnathan William Ellish in Hamilton County Circuit Court on December 30. The plaintiff seeks $750,000 from the City and Officers James Davis, Samuel Roistacher and former Officer Anna Simmons. The lawsuit asserts the city “created an atmosphere within the department that such misconduct is condoned and ratified by the city.”

The basis for the lawsuit is an October arrest of Ellish after he refused treatment at Parkridge East hospital for making suicidal threats to himself. Ellish left against the wishes of doctors.

According to the lawsuit, as Ellish was attempting to walk home from the hospital in the early morning hours of October 3, he was stopped by the three officers on Spring Creek Road near the main entrance to the facility. 

The suit claims Officers Davis and Simmons slammed Ellish into a bed of rocks, rolled him over and ground the left side of the man’s face into jagged edges of rocks, partially tearing Ellish’s left nostril from his nose.

“The sudden attack upon plaintiff without warning by the individual defendants, after only about one minute and seven seconds of communication with plaintiff was an unnecessary escalation of force when the only reason why these defendants detained plaintiff was that he walked away from a medical facility where he refused treatment,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit states that Ellish required sutures to his broken nose to reattach his nostril, and severe bruising and abrasions. 

East Ridge City Manager Scott Miller said the city is currently defending four lawsuits regarding the East Ridge Police Department.