'I was ambushed,' says woman suing HPD over force Ex-NASA worker's suit alleges excessive HPD force

Hatice Cullingford, 65, discussed her allegations at a news conference on Friday. Hatice Cullingford, 65, discussed her allegations at a news conference on Friday. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 'I was ambushed,' says woman suing HPD over force 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A retired NASA engineer has filed a federal civil rights suit this week alleging that Houston police officers used excessive force after they arrested her in August 2009 for threatening a man whose dog defecated in her yard.

Hatice Cullingford, 65, said after she asked Robert Lee Shlemon, 28, to remove his dog from her yard, he confronted her and said he would return later than night with a gun.

"I said 'I'll shoot,' because I didn't want him to come back. I live alone," Cullingford said. "I had to say something, and that's what came out of my mouth. I've never owned a gun."

Houston police should have arrested Shlemon on outstanding warrants from Dallas County if they had checked or cited him for violation of city leash laws, according to the lawsuit.

Suffered injuries

Cullingford said less than an hour later, a trio of Houston officers arrived at her door, placed her under custody without explaining what the charge was and searched her home in Clear Lake for an hour without a warrant.

She was transported to a jail cell at the HPD Mykawa Road police substation, where she alleged female jailers used excessive force against her.

"When she went to the jail, Ms. Cullingford was manhandled and according to the doctor, she had abrasions, cuts, bruises and she had her shoulder hurt," said her attorney, Randall Kallinen. "And by the way, prior to this Ms. Cullingford in her entire life, had never been arrested or convicted of a crime."

The lawsuit accuses the city and arresting officer, H.J. Morales Jr., of false arrest, excessive force and malicious prosecution.

The former government scientist said she did not file an internal affairs complaint because after her arrest she was terrified of police.

"Although Dr. Cullingford's allegations regarding her arrest arose over 19 months ago, no complaint of any kind was ever filed by Dr. Cullingford with the Houston Police Department," read a statement from City Attorney David Feldman. "The city is unable to comment further on Dr. Cullingford's individual allegations at this time."

The class C misdemeanor assault by threat charge against Cullingford was dismissed in March 2010, after Shlemon failed to appear as the complaining witness.

Criminal records show Shlemon was convicted of possession of marijuana, driving with a suspended licenses and a weapons charge. Shlemon did not answer calls to a telephone listed in court records.

"We need more openness in government, and more training in anti-brutality and sensitivity and excess force, so these things doesn't happen," said Kallinen.

"I was totally shocked. I had no idea what was happening, I was ambushed, totally," said Cullingford, who said she was injured when she was cuffed. "I had no idea where they were taking me."

Home searched

Police spent an hour searching Cullingford's home in Clear Lake, although they did not have a warrant, said Kallinen, who filed the suit. When she was booked at the police substation, city jailers used excessive force that resulted in scratches and bruises, according to the lawsuit.

Cullingford was an aerospace technologist at NASA, a staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a nuclear reactor engineer for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and a mechanical engineer working on nuclear fusion energy for the U.S. Department of Energy, according to the lawsuit.

james.pinkerton@chron.com