By Staff
Dixon alleges mistreatment by town police
By TED STRONG
Staff Writer
An Aurora man is suing the town of Aurora, its police department and two police officers over his 2006 arrest in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot.
In his lawsuit filed March 18 in Beaufort County Superior Court, Shelton Earl Dixon accuses a police officer of arresting him roughly and without cause.
The town’s mayor declined to comment on the case.
According to the allegations outlined in Dixon’s lawsuit, he went to the Piggly Wiggly on the evening of March 31, 2006, bought goods, left, paused to talk with an acquaintance and was arrested on a charge of loitering.
Dixon’s lawsuit contends he was arrested without cause or warning and that he was injured by the way he was placed in handcuffs and the length of time he was left in them.
The lawsuit goes on to call Gaskill’s actions “malicious,” “corrupt” and “sadistic.”
Dixon’s lawsuit maintains that Gaskill didn’t ask Dixon how long he was staying or if he planned to leave before he arrested him. The loitering charge “was terminated in favor of Mr. Dixon,” according to the lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Dixon accuses Gaskill of negligence, willful and wanton conduct, assault, battery, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. He accuses the town and the police chief of negligent retention and/or supervision and/or hiring. The lawsuit contends they also can be sued for imputed negligence and vicarious liability. In all, Dixon asks for more than $90,000 in damages.
Calls to the lawyer representing the town, the lawyer representing Dixon and the Aurora Police Department were not returned Monday afternoon.
As of Monday, no trial date had been set.