A 31-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department is the target of a federal civil rights lawsuit this week. Officer Thomas Lovrin is accused of spitting on and nearly running down Department of Parking and Transit Sgt. Shanika Bell as she directed traffic outside of AT&T Park last month.

Bell was in uniform in the intersection of Third and Channel Streets around 10:45 p.m. on April 7th, after the Giants lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3. According to the lawsuit, Officer Lovrin, 53, broke a couple traffic laws when he drove through a red light at the intersection "at high speed," nearly hitting Bell while still talking on his cell phone. When Bell directed him to stop, the visibly intoxicated Lovrin stepped out and began verbally harassing Bell. From the Chronicle:

"Lovrin exclaimed he should have been allowed to go through the intersection because the truck preceding his car went through the red light as well," the suit said. "Defendant Lovrin appeared to be well-inebriated and behaved in a belligerent and bizarre fashion while continuing to intimidate and harass Ms. Bell for a period of approximately seven to 10 minutes." The incident came to an end when Lovrin unzipped and opened his jacket, revealing a San Francisco police badge and uniform, the complaint said. He told Bell, "You're nothing" and then spat in her face, the suit said.

When Bell responded, "You really just spit in my face?" Lovrin countered with, "Yeah and what?" and left the scene. A fellow parking control officer took down Lovrin's license plate number.

The lawsuit names both the city of San Francisco and Lovrin as defendants. Bell is being represented by Oakland attorney John Burris, who also represented the families of Oscar Grant III and Charles Hill in wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits brought against the BART Police Department.

"This case is about disrespect," Burris told the Chronicle. "It's pretty shocking that a police officer would treat a fellow law-enforcement officer in such a despicable way."

Previously: SFPD Sgt. Joyrides Through Broadway Tunnel at 100 MPH, Posts Video On Facebook: 'Plus We Were All Drunk'

[Chron]