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Ex-officer, Warren sued for $50M by 19-year-old who was punched, slammed to ground

Matthew Rodriguez was fired Tuesday by WPD

WARREN, Mich. – Jaquwan Smith, 19, has sued the city of Warren, and former officer Matthew James Rodriguez for $50 million after he was punched in his face and violently slammed on his head on video.

According to court documents, Smith claims his constitutional rights were violated.

Security camera video showed ex-police officer Rodriguez, 48, punching Smith in the fingerprinting room before throwing him into a cell Tuesday, June 13, at 6:08 a.m. at the Warren Police Department jail.

Rodriguez was fired Tuesday, June 26, by the department. He faces assault and battery charges.

Full lawsuit here


About the Author

Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.

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