Hartford settles lawsuit over arrest of man whose dog was brought to pound, euthanized

The city of Hartford has settled a lawsuit filed by a man who says he was beaten and arrested by police for no reason while walking his dog, which was brought to the pound and euthanized.

The settlement of Lamonte Brown's lawsuit was reached in mid-August, according to federal court records. Terms weren't disclosed.

According to the lawsuit, Brown was walking his dog named Boomer in the city's Asylum Hill neighborhood in November 2012 after leaving a friend's house when he was stopped by two officers responding to a noise complaint he knew nothing about. Brown said he complied with the officers' demands, but they shot him with stun guns, beat him and arrested him.

Brown said he was first taken to a holding cell at Hartford Superior Court and then to Hartford Hospital, where he received four to five stitches for a facial laceration. He was detained on $10,000 bail for four days on charges that were later dismissed.

The dog, meanwhile, was taken to a pound.

"As a result of this arrest, the plaintiff's dog was impounded, and when the plaintiff could not afford the cost to reclaim the dog from the pound, the dog was euthanized," the lawsuit said. It wasn't clear how much that cost.

Brown's lawyer, John Q. Gale, said he couldn't discuss the case because of a confidentiality agreement. Nathalie Feola-Guerrieri, a lawyer for the city and the police department, didn't return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Brown filed the lawsuit last year, saying the officers violated his constitutional rights and caused him injury, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of property and legal costs.