HOUSTON – A man is suing the city of Houston and a police officer after he claims he was beaten while in custody.
A lawsuit said Reuben Williams was beaten by an officer after he was booked into Houston City jail in November 2014.
According to the suit, Williams was arrested on a DUI charge. Inside the jail Williams was led to a holding cell by Officer S. Corral. When they got close to the cell door, Corral pushed Williams' head into the cell door, causing a gash above his eye, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit claims when Williams and Corral were inside the jail cell, the officer shoved Williams against the wall and applied a neck hold until Williams collapsed to the floor. Surveillance video showed someone enter Williams' cell to give him medical treatment.
The lawsuit said there have been many instances of obvious excessive force at the Houston jail, which have been investigated by the city, but nothing has been done.
In a news conference Monday, Williams' attorney called for body camera footage to be released and for the officer involved to be disciplined.
VIDEO: Reuben Williams' beating in jail cell
"There have been 250 shootings in a row by HPD and there is no evidence of one single disciplinary action taken, or one single time that there has been an indictment by a grand jury," civil rights lawyer Randall Kallinen said. "Now, the current mayor got the support of HPD in his election very early. The mayor needs to show people these body cam videos. They need to release videos and they need to discipline their officers."
Kallinen said Williams suffers anxiety and depression from the incident. He also has a permanent scar on his forehead.
RAW VIDEO: Reuben Williams' attorney speak about federal lawsuit over alleged beating
"This is just disgusting. I saw the video once, I don't care to see it again," Williams' father, Reuben Williams Sr., said. "Members of the family in Austin have been calling me, (a) brother in California. Things have gotten out. This is absolutely disgusting, just the whole way it was handled. HPD never intended for this video to come out."
Williams is seeking an undisclosed amount for damages for mental anguish and attorney's fees, according to the lawsuit.
He remains in jail on related charges.
