Lawsuit accuses Burlington Police of using excessive force on Black teen with disabilities

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The mother of a Black teenager with intellectual disabilities is suing the City of Burlington, alleging that police officers used excessive force when they pinned him to his bed to retrieve a stolen e-cigarette in 2021.

Filed on Tuesday in Vermont Superior Court, the suit says officers “needlessly escalated” the situation, and then city EMTs forcibly sedated the 14-year-old boy with ketamine.

Darren Perron spoke with Seven Days’ Courtney Lamdin who reported on the story in this week’s issue.