An Alabama man is suing a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy for excessive force and civil rights violations, alleging that handcuffs he says were secured too tightly resulted in the amputation of his left hand.
Giovanni Loyola was arrested on February 16, 2020, when Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies responded to multiple complaints of men fighting and handling large weapons. The lawsuit says a “Deputy Godber” grabbed Loyola by the wrist and forcefully removed him from the house moments after Loyola answered the door.
The deputy then allegedly pulled the then 25-year-old man down the steps and “slammed” Loyola against a car before throwing him to the ground and then punching him in the face, the lawsuit states. The deputy then secured Loyola’s hands behind his back with handcuffs that were “unbearably tight.”
Loyola complained that the handcuffs were too tight at the time of the incident and that he was losing feeling in his left hand, the lawsuit alleges. He pleaded with the officer to loosen them, but Godber ignored him.
After his release from jail, Loyola went to Christ Health Center to have his left hand checked, according to the complaint. The physician said there was a severe blood flow problem, and surgery was required. Loyola was in and out of the hospital over the next ten months. Ultimately the damage to his left hand resulted in its amputation.
Deputy Godber was served with a lawsuit earlier this month.
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