Detroit — A federal lawsuit seeking $10 million in damages alleged two Detroit police officers violently knocked a woman to the ground, then roughed her up outside her family’s west side barbershop following a fight last year between a relative and cops with hundreds of people milling around.
The police report of the Aug. 10, 2025, incident that was attached to the lawsuit paints a different version of events. The report, written by the defendant in the suit, Detroit Police Officer Jeremy Newson, claimed the plaintiff, Tonia O’Neil, interfered with an attempt to arrest her stepson, Rimmon O’Neil, who in January was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer.
Tonia’s attorney, Ivan Land, called Newson’s report “a complete lie” and said the ticket the officer issued his client for interfering with police was dropped because Newsom didn’t show up for court, while failing to provide his body-worn camera footage of the incident.
Detroit Law Department officials said Tuesday the city’s usual policy is to decline commenting on ongoing litigation.
During the tussle, Tonia O’Neal “sustained serious physical injuries including multiple concussions, neck injuries, back injuries, internal bruising, wrist swelling, abrasions, breathing difficulties, burning eyes, blurred vision, and other bodily injuries,” the lawsuit said. “(She) has also suffered severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, trauma, sleeplessness, mental anguish, and continuing psychological injuries as a result of defendants’ conduct. (She) continues to experience physical pain and emotional suffering stemming from the incident.”
How the incident started
The trouble began at about 10:40 p.m. outside the Urban City Barber & Beauty Salon at West 7 Mile Road and Montrose, near Greenfield, according to the 16-page lawsuit that was filed last month in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
“Earlier that evening, a nearby event hosted by the Henry Ford High School Alumni Association had taken place in the surrounding area,” the lawsuit said.
According to Newson’s report, he was working a drag racing/block party detail, trying to clear the street of about 300 pedestrians who were blocking traffic.
“While clearing the pedestrian traffic, I saw a fight break out between officers and multiple civilians,” Newson wrote. “My partners and I immediately ran to … assist.”
The lawsuit, which also names a second “John Doe” defendant, accused Detroit police officers of starting the fight.
Tonia O’Neil and her husband had just locked up the barbershop when Rimmon O’Neil told them that a Detroit cop had just assaulted him by pushing him in the face when he’d walked his girlfriend to her car.
“While O’Neil Jr. was explaining the interaction, police officers walked past the group and then O’Neil Jr. identified the Police Officer involved in the earlier confrontation, and words were exchanged,” the lawsuit said. “(Tonia O’Neil) attempted to calm and de-escalate O’Neil Jr. before the Police Officer approached the group.
“Rather than de-escalate, Detroit Police Officer Steven Anouti confronted O’Neil Jr.,” the lawsuit claimed. “During their encounter, O’Neil Jr. punched Officer Steven Anouti. The situation then rapidly escalated into (a) violent encounter.
“More than ten Detroit Police Officers swarmed the area and physically attacked anyone that was in front of the barber shop, and any civilians present at the scene,” the lawsuit said. “(Tonia O’Neil) was positioned behind her husband when Detroit Police officers forced her husband to the ground. As the officers pinned her husband down, (she) became trapped between her husband’s body and the concrete pavement.
“During the chaos, (Tonia O’Neil) and her husband were violently knocked to the ground despite them both trying to de-escalate the matter,” the lawsuit said. “(Tonia O’Neil) screamed for help while the Police Officers continued applyingforce.”
Lawsuit claims Detroit woman was dragged across concrete
The lawsuit claims Newson grabbed Tonia O’Neil by her legs and pulled her across the concrete.
“(Her) knees, elbows, and other parts of her body scraped against the concrete pavement as she was pulled,” the suit said. “Newson then shoved (Tonia O’Neil) into a parked vehicle with such force that (her) neck snapped backward upon impact. … (W)hile (she) remained dazed, disoriented, and defenseless, defendant John Doe sprayed (her) directly in the face with pepper spray, which further shocked and jolted her from her disoriented state.
“Newson then grabbed (her) as she attempted to tell (him) that her eyes were burning from the pepper spray and that her entire body was in pain from the shove into the vehicle,” the lawsuit said. “Newson disregarded (her) concerns.”
According to Newson’s report, Tonia O’Neil was the aggressor as he tried to help fellow officers who were struggling with Rimmon O’Neil.
“As I approached … I observed multiple officers on the ground attempting to retain Rimmon Dwight O’Neil, who was resisting them,” Newson wrote the same day of the incident. “I also saw Tonia Larae O’Neil lying on the ground next to Mr. O’Neil, blocking and pushing officers away as they tried to detain him.
“I was then advised by officers that Mr. O’Neil was armed with a firearm,” Newson wrote in his report. “Mrs. O’Neil continued to interfere with police, kicking and pushing officers as they tried to safely disarm O’Neil Jr. and take him into custody.
“I pulled Mrs. O’Neil away from the officers to allow them to detain him and secure the weapon,” Newson claimed. “As I did, she got up and pushed past me, attempting to interfere and get between the officers. At that moment, I was partially blinded by pepper spray that was deployed into the crowd. I pushed Mrs. O’Neil back as she tried to push past me again to interfere with the officers. I then placed Mrs. O’Neil in handcuffs.”
Land, O’Neil’s attorney, said the unknown John Doe officer named in the lawsuit deployed the pepper spray. He said he waited until his client finished rehabilitating from her injuries to file the lawsuit.
“It’s a travesty that Detroit police officers have no de-escalation skills,” Land said. “They’re supposed to make things peaceful; instead, they came in, acted like madmen and wreaked havoc.”
ghunter@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2134
@GeorgeHunter_DN
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit police officers roughed up woman during melee, lawsuit claims
Reporting by George Hunter, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By George Hunter, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
