Man Files Complaint in Dog Feces Dispute

A quadriplegic man has filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court against the Hermosa Beach police claiming he was thrown to the ground after a dispute over who would pick up his dog's feces. David Nicholls said his civil rights were violated in August 2005 while he was walking his service dog along the beach.

The 43-year-old man claims he was first yelled at by a hotel employee for not picking up after his dog, a job he claims belonged to the hotel worker. The hotel worker then flagged down a police officer who told Nicholls to stop his wheelchair.

Accounts of what happened next differ in the police report and the lawsuit.

Nicholls claims he was forced to the ground by the officer but the police report states Nicholls fell from his chair onto the pavement during a struggle.

The incident triggered an internal investigation within the police department, but the outcome has not been revealed. Nicholls has been confined to a wheelchair since a 2002 skiing accident left him paralyzed.

The suit demands a jury trial and unspecified compensation.