A jury trial has been set for Nov. 5 in U.S. District Court in Detroit for the Civil Rights law suit of James Gamble vs. Van Buren Township Police Officers Scott Griggs and Patrick Wehrman.
The trial will proceed in Judge Gerald Rosen’s court, unless the case is settled by the parties before then. The final pretrial settlement conference is scheduled for 10 a.m., Oct. 25.
The deadline for preliminary witness lists was May 16. Gamble’s attorney presented a list of more than 30 proposed witnesses. The attorney for the police officers listed 80 witnesses. Additional non-expert witnesses may be filed with the court by June 15.
The law suit was filed Oct. 11, 2011 in Wayne County Circuit Court and then removed to federal court on Nov. 11.
The suit concerns a neighbor’s complaint about a loud radio that led to a confrontation in a Robson Road garage between Gamble and the two VBT police officers at about 10:30 p.m., Oct. 19, 2009.
The law suit said Gamble was in a garage at his residence listening to the radio, with the garage door a quarter-way closed to conserve heat.
The suit claims the two officers appeared at the Gamble home, walked into the garage and demanded he turn off his radio. The suit said he declined to turn off the radio, stating he was on his own property and that the radio was not loud.
The suit claims the two officers “set upon him,” called him names, and struck him with such brutality on his head that he lost consciousness.
The suit said he was taken to the VBT jail where he “languished” about two hours before being conveyed to a hospital. Gamble said he is diabetic, but the officers said he was drunk.
Gamble alleges the “wrongful acts” of the police caused him many debilitating injuries. The counts in the law suit include false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and violation of Civil Rights.
The officers deny they mistreated Gamble. They said they sought to take him into custody by handcuffing him and he resisted, necessitating the officer taking him to the ground.
The officers deny they struck him with brutality in the head or that Gamble lost consciousness. They said he was taken to jail, but they didn’t know how long he was there before being transported by Huron Valley Ambulance to Annapolis Hospital for evaluation.
Gamble is represented by Stanley Okoli and Daniel G. Romano of Southfield. The officers are represented by Margaret T. Debler of Johnson, Rosati, LaBarge, Aseltyne & Field of Farmington Hills.