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SPRINGFIELD - Jonathan Ramos, 29, is shown here with a head injury he said was delivered by a police baton during a 2014 arrest, now the subject of a federal lawsuit.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield man has filed a federal lawsuit against two police officers and the city, alleging he was cracked in the head with a police baton and pepper-sprayed in the face without provocation during a disturbance at a child's birthday party in 2014.

Jonathan Ramos filed a seven-count complaint in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, alleging unreasonable force, assault and battery, civil rights violations, intentional infliction of emotional distress, conspiracy and other accusations leveled at the city for failure to supervise its police force.

Named in the complaint are Springfield Police Officers Matthew Rief and Herminio Rivas Jr., along with the city, Police Commissioner John Barbieri and Mayor Domenic Sarno.

The complaint is the latest development in what has been a virtual avalanche of bad publicity for the Police Department over the past several months, including suspensions, other lawsuits, high-profile internal investigations and an FBI investigation into possible civil rights violations.

Ramos' lawsuit alleges Rief whacked him in the head with a baton on April 26, 2014, after members of his family called 911 to ask police to remove an unwanted visitor from the party.

A lawyer for Ramos, Hector Pineiro of Worcester, said in the complaint that his client suffered a fractured skull and other injuries that required plastic surgery. He also maintains police never investigated the matter internally until Ramos filed a formal complaint earlier this year.

City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula was not immediately available for comment.

Ramos, 29, stated that his sister called police when the father of her son, for whom the gathering was held, showed up uninvited at their home at 28 Drexel St. Rief and Rivas were first to arrive at the house just before 11 p.m., records show.

The lawsuit states Rief abruptly announced his intention to arrest Ramos and take him to jail.

"For what reason? I'm not the problem here. I haven't done anything wrong," Ramos replied, according to the court filing.

Ramos turned away and Rief slipped and fell on wet grass, according to the complaint.

"Mr. Ramos raised his hands in surrender but Officer Rief intentionally swung the baton with great forced and struck Mr. Ramos once on the right side of his forehead," the lawsuit states.

It adds that Ramos "staggered" to the house where Rief eventually followed him. Rivas struck another family member with his baton, according to the complaint, adding that Rief arrested Ramos in the bathroom and hauled him back to his cruiser, where the officer "maliciously and sadistically" maced him in the face.

A police report portrays a decidedly different picture. Rief stated that he and Rivas were dispatched to the scene after a report of a disturbance and found about 10 people on the front lawn, including several men who were screaming profanities. Rief said he asked Ramos to lower his voice, but Ramos continued to scream, causing neighbors to poke their heads out their front doors.

"At this point I told Mr. Ramos he was under arrest," Rief writes in his report, adding that he ordered Ramos on the ground after Ramos punched the officer in the head.

Rief said he attempted to strike Ramos in his torso as Ramos continued to "charge at him" and one of the strikes accidentally connected with Ramos' skull.

Rief confirms Ramos retreated to the house and added family members tried to block Rief's path to follow him. He ultimately arrested Ramos, his mother and another man. There is no mention of pepper spray in the report.

Rief took Ramos to police headquarters at 130 Pearl St., where Rief said he administered first aid. Ramos was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Rief said Ramos was later taken to Baystate Medical Center for his injuries.

Ramos was acquitted of the assault and disorderly conduct charges at trial, according to Pineiro, but convicted of resisting arrest. Pineiro said his client is appealing the conviction.

The attorney also argues in the lawsuit that both the city and the Police Department have a history of indifference toward citizens' complaints of brutality. Pineiro tallies up 133 complaints against seven narcotics detectives alone that were determined to be "unfounded" by the department.

He accuses Barbieri of being the latest commissioner to "reinforce the widespread existence of a code of silence and culture of impunity from the rank and file all the way up to his office."

The lawsuit demands monetary damages and attorney fees. An initial hearing has not been scheduled.