Fort Lauderdale police officers violated civil rights law when they entered the home garage of two city residents and detained them with excessive force, brothers Raymond and Randall Purcell allege in a lawsuit filed Monday against the officers and the city.
In depositions, the officers said they felt threatened because of weaponry displayed on the walls — items that the plaintiffs say were harmless Star Trek memorabilia.
One of the officers, Steven Pohorence, made news last year when he was charged with first-degree misdemeanor battery in connection with a clash between protesters and Fort Lauderdale police that followed the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd.
Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald.
