SPOKANE, Wash – A man who was beaten up during an arrest for which the deputy faces criminal charges is suing the county, the sheriff’s office and others for what he calls “systemic failures” to protect citizens.
Kevin Hinton was arrested in August 2023 by a Spokane County Sheriffs sergeant who was working as a Spokane Valley Police Officer. In the lawsuit filed in federal court, attorneys say Sgt. Clay Hilton used “violent, excessive force” and permanently injured Hinton.
Court records show Hinton broke several ribs and also suffered a collapsed lung, along with bruises and cuts.
Hinton was not found to have committed any crime.
Hilton was placed on leave and Spokane Police investigators found probable cause to charge him with assault. The case was forwarded to the Yakima County prosecutors office who has yet to charge him in the case.
The federal lawsuit filed this week says Hilton had a previous complaint about use of force and that the sheriff’s office was put on notice about that in May 2023.
The suit says the sheriff’s office and Spokane Valley Police have taken no meaningful action to change their mode of business and that the department “continues the practice of rubberstamping their review of use of force by law enforcement officers.”
The lawsuit says the county and the departments violated Hinton’s civil rights through lack of reasonable suspicion to search him, arrested him without probable cause, used excessive force, and showed deliberate indifference to serious medical need by taking Hinton to the jail and not to the hospital.
He’s also suing AMR for being “influenced to medically clear Mr. Hington for booking into the Spokane County jail by the actions and influence of Sgt Hilton and/or the responding members of the City of Spokane Valley Police Department.”
The suit blames the City of Spokane Valley and the police department for failing to ensure law enforcement officers restrain from excessive force.
It also accused Hilton of inflicting emotional distress, false arrest and assault and battery.
The lawsuit was just filed in federal court Thursday; the county has yet to formally respond.
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