0 9 Investigates another OPD excessive force lawsuit

ORLANDO, Fla. - 9 Investigates discovered that the Orlando Police Department is facing another federal lawsuit over allegations of excessive force.

Gregory Henry shared pictures with Eyewitness News that show a swollen, bruised face after his encounter with four Orlando police officers, who he says were taking the lead from Officer William Anderson.

"I could no longer feel my legs after getting Tased and kneed, and pepper sprayed and choked," Henry said.

In a clip of a YouTube video, you see Henry trying to diffuse an argument over a racial slur. Moments later, the officers grab him, but don't identify themselves in the video.

Henry said he immediately put his hands up, realizing that they were police officers. The rest of the video is too dark to see what's happening, but the audio is clear.

"They got your boy, bro. They said he ain't gone be eating nothing but smoothies for a while. They slammed him on the floor face first," a witness is heard saying.

Henry was taken to a local hospital, where he says Anderson bragged about how he could have killed him.

"I said, 'You were trying to kill me.' My exact words,” Henry told Channel 9’s Daralene Jones.

“He said, ‘No, if I wanted to kill you, what I should've done is took my baton and beat the living (expletive) out of you,'" Henry said.

A 9 Investigates review of the officer’s report shows that he stated Mr. Henry was still panicked from the spray and was overreacting based upon his knowledge of the effects of pepper spray.

Anderson has 18 citizens’ complaints in his personnel file for similar incidents regarding his behavior toward the public.

Most of the department's reviews of those complaints found no policies were violated. Three of them led to re-training or supervisor referrals for counseling.

Henry's complaint is one of them and in his case, Anderson was only disciplined for his language, not what Henry and his attorney consider to be excessive force.

"You hope that by attacking them where it hurts in their purse strings that you will eventually have the impact. Maybe if we fire these people, (it) will save some money on lawsuits," attorney Luis Calderon said.

In January, the City of Orlando said it had 22 pending lawsuits over the behavior of its police officers. As of Tuesday, that number is has grown to 26.

In a statement, an Orlando police spokesperson said the agency doesn't comment on open litigation. The department has not changed any policies since this incident and all four officers involved are still with the department.