Jail inmate sues Costa Mesa police
An Orange County Jail inmate has filed a civil-rights complaint in federal court alleging that Costa Mesa police officers beat him during an arrest and then left his unlocked truck on the side of the road, where it was later stolen.
Joseph Barrack, 40, said in his Oct. 20 filing that about a half-dozen officers pulled him from his parked truck in August, used a stun gun on him and broke at least two of his ribs.
The lawsuit asks for more than $600,000 in compensation for what Barrack calls excessive force and the loss of his truck. He alleges the truck was found totaled on the freeway after police left it open with the keys in the ignition.
Barrack, who is representing himself in the litigation, could not be reached for comment.
A day after the incident, the Orange County district attorney’s office charged Barrack with two felonies and two misdemeanors that include possession of a controlled substance, being under the influence of a controlled substance and battery on a police officer.
Barrack pleaded guilty to the charges, according to court documents, and is serving a 16-month jail sentence.
Barrack’s complaint asks that those charges be dismissed, according to court documents.
Costa Mesa police Lt. Paul Beckman said he can’t discuss specific cases working their way through the court system, but he said the department performs an internal investigation any time there is an allegation of excessive force or misconduct.
“There’s a mechanism in place organizationally to review almost a limitless number of events so that we can always address potential problems,” Beckman said.
According to Barrack’s filing, the city of Costa Mesa declined to compensate him in September when he submitted a claim with similar allegations.
City officials did not immediately respond to questions about the claim or confirm that it had been denied. Claims are generally considered precursors to lawsuits.
Thursday, a representative from Costa Mesa’s human resources department said the city has not denied the claim.
City officials still are investigating Barrack’s allegations before deciding what to do, analyst Ryan Thomas said.