Man Claims he was Assaulted by Gloucester Township Police

Gloucester Township, NJ -- An Atlantic City man’s arrest on an outstanding warrant in Gloucester Township two years ago is the subject of a recently filed lawsuit.

A little over two years ago, Gloucester Township Police reported the arrest of 58-year-old Michael Thomas, who was “standing in the area of Villari’s Lakeside Inn” on Sicklerville Road. Police alleged that they approached Thomas, and that he fled after they learned he had a warrant for his arrest for a traffic violation.

Police say he discarded heroin as he fled, and made “various statements that he wasn’t going back to jail.”

Police ultimately subdued the man, after one officer was injured.

Thomas was also injured, but upon release from the hospital, he was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. He was put in Camden County Jail on $35,000 bail.

That incident was on April 17, 2014.

On Tuesday of this week, Thomas filed a lawsuit against the police department, the township, and at least 12 officers, nj.com reports. He alleges he was just waiting for the bus when he was assaulted by a handful of township police officers.

Thomas claims he was closer to a Wawa that is within a mile of the bar than he was to the actual bar itself, according to the report.

He says he was pepper sprayed and deprived of his inhaler, and that an officer pointed his gun at him, according to the report. He seeks monetary relief.