Lawsuit against city alleges abuse of power, unnecessary police force

    The City of Imperial and three police officers have been named as defendants in a lawsuit for “the abuse of official power and the unnecessary use of police force against a private citizen in violation of his constitutional right to be free” from unreasonable searches and excessive police force.
    The lawsuit was filed by Telly Briggs in Chase County District Court Sept. 9. The lawsuit stems from a Jan. 6, 2016 incident when Briggs was arrested for disturbing the peace in relation to an alleged custody dispute with his ex-girlfriend, Shaina Musick.
    The lawsuit names Police Chief Ryan Wisnieski and officers Daniel Morales and Chad Ostmeyer, as well as the City of Imperial, as defendants.
    The Imperial City Council was informed of the lawsuit during a regular meeting Monday night. No discussion was held on the issue.
    The case has not yet been assigned a court date.