CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Patricia Geiger's pleasant night out with friends in March 2011 turned into a nightmare when Cleveland police officers arrested her and her husband for a crime they did not commit.

According to a federal lawsuit the Geigers filed in 2012, Patricia Geiger had gone downtown with friends to see a musical at PlayhouseSquare.

Miscellaneous Cleveland Settlements

During the two-week series Forcing Change, the Northeast Ohio Media Group and Plain Dealer Publishing Co. delved into dozens of lawsuits accusing Cleveland police officers of misconduct ranging from unlawful arrest to unnecessary lethal force.The series focused on a specific set of themes that were also outlined in a 58-page report from the U.S. Department of Justice that says city police officers engage in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, that officers were poorly trained and that the department lacked accountability, among other issues.This story is one of several that did not fit the parameters of the Justice Department investigation, but were costly settlements nonetheless.

At some point during the evening, Cleveland Officer Anthony Gorsek, working off duty as security for the PlayhouseSquare parking garage, recorded Geiger's license plate number. At the end of the night, a black SUV that resembled Geiger's struck Gorsek and took off.

Gorsek assumed the vehicle belonged to Geiger and falsely told police that he had recorded the license plate after being knocked to the ground. Police showed up at the Geigers' home, and arrested her and her husband, William "Chas" Geiger.

Gorsek falsely identified William Geiger as the driver of the vehicle, though he had not been downtown that night. Surveillance video footage proved that he was at a Lakewood restaurant at the time of the incident. Police did not look at the video before charging Geiger with felonious assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and possessing criminal tools.

Patricia Geiger was arrested on a charge of obstruction of justice. She was released after 24 hours in jail without charges. William Geiger, however, was indicted on felonious assault and failure to comply with the order of a police officer. He was released on bond after 24 hours.

On March 22, 2011, all charges were dismissed.

The Geigers received $60,000 in a settlement with the city in 2013.