An Akron man who was punched multiple times and forcefully arrested by Akron police officers a year ago has filed a lawsuit against the City of Akron and the officers involved in the encounter.
Jordan Ely, who was acquitted by a jury of a resisting arrest charge stemming from the July 1, 2023, incident, filed the lawsuit in federal court, alleging excessive force by the officers, municipal liability for the officers’ actions, assault and battery, and negligence.
“This is the only recourse that Jordan has for accountability,” his attorney, Imokhai Okolo, told Signal Akron. “He will win, and he will get a sense of accountability.”
Along with the city, Ely is suing Officers Warren Spragg and Thomas Phillips, who arrested him. The City of Akron declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The lawsuit stems from an incident in the parking lot of the Family Dollar on Copley Road. Signal Akron media partner 3News reported on the arrest and use of force at the time, which began when officers conducted a registration check on a vehicle with a temporary tag — the check came back with active warrants for Jordan Ely Sr., the registrant of the car.
Warning: The video below contains a depiction of police-related violence.
The car was later found in the Family Dollar parking lot.
The two officers struggled to get Ely in handcuffs – video of the incident posted to social media by bystanders shows one of the officers punching Ely three times.
Akron Police later stated, “strikes were used,” in addition to “physical grappling.”
Police found a small bag of white powder on Ely and he eventually pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl-related substances. Ely’s January acquittal on the resisting arrest charge opened the door for the federal civil lawsuit.
“We had to handle the criminal case first and once that was resolved, we’re in a better position to be able to handle the civil suit,” Okolo said. It’s an “identical legal strategy” to what he’ll pursue with Dierra Fields when he files a lawsuit on her behalf, he said.
Okolo successfully represented Fields in a criminal case after the Akron woman was body slammed by an Akron police officer and prosecuted for resisting arrest and obstructing official business.
Ely’s lawsuit is about accountability, Okolo said.
“The mental anguish, the physical anguish, and now having to live with this psychological scar – he’s never going to forget what happened to him and he’s never going to live this down,” Okolo said.
“His son is impacted by this, his family is impacted by this, the community is impacted by this. Our only way – our only way – to affirmatively pursue accountability is through the civil process. We can’t plead to the police department to do something they don’t want to do.”