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(MassLive.com photo [file])

WORCESTER — A 62-year-old grandmother, Daisy L. Morales, has filed a lawsuit against a Worcester police officer and the city after she says she was wrongly arrested and assaulted nearly a year ago. Morales' suit contends the assault by officer James Powers of the Worcester Police Department was racially motivated.

"The individual defendant mercilessly beat Ms. Morales at her home simply to 'teach her a lesson' for questioning his police authority," states the lawsuit against Powers and the city of Worcester.

Filed with the U.S. District Court in Worcester on Friday, the suit accuses Powers of beating Morales in her own home while Powers was in uniform. The alleged beating left Morales, then 61, with "life-threatening, permanent injuries which have required extensive surgical procedures and ongoing physical therapy treatment," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit stems from a Feb. 25, 2013 arrest in which Morales was charged with disturbing the peace, keeping a noisy and disorderly household and resisting arrest. Those charges went to a jury trial. Morales was found not guilty on all three on Oct. 17, according to court records.

According to the report filed by Powers with the court, officers were called multiple times to her apartment on Feb. 25. When he arrested Morales, Powers wrote in his report that she was fighting, yelling obscenities which disturbed neighbors. Additionally, she "fell to the ground balled up, refused to give hands to be handcuffed," Powers stated.

The lawsuit also states that Powers visited Morales' apartment three times that day.

She allowed police to enter twice and then Powers entered without consent the third time, she says. When attempting to explain that there were no disturbances taking place in her apartment, Powers said "Shut the f*** up!" according to the suit. He allegedly added, "I'm sick of dealing with you Latinos."





Daisy L. Morales v. James Powers and city of Worcester

Sheila Alles, who the suit states was in the apartment at the time and was called as a witness for the defense in Morales' criminal trial, asked Powers, "Why are you speaking to an elderly woman in that manner?"

In response, the suit states "Officer Powers became enraged again, charged at Ms. Alles, yelled 'I'm going to arrest you,' flipped her around, slammed her on the sofa where she was sitting, and slapped handcuffs on her behind her back." She was charged with disturbing the peace.

Morales then allegedly said, "Oh my God, police brutality."

The accusation "enraged Powers," the lawsuit claims.

After a few minutes, another officer arrived. The second officer on the scene placed Morales' handcuffs in front of her body, according to the lawsuit. An ambulance then came to transport her to a hospital.

The lawsuit claims there was no probable cause to arrest Morales, that she was falsely imprisoned and that Powers "manufactured [the charges] for an illegitimate purpose."

The 62-year-old seeks a jury trial and compensation for emotional and physical harm received during the incident.

Two requests for comment were made to the Worcester Police Department Tuesday, by phone and email. Neither request was answered.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.