Judge blasts Gulfport police for mistreating suspect

GULFPORT - A Pinellas County Circuit Court judge criticized Gulfport police for mistreating a suspect who was Tasered and beaten multiple times.

Judge Cynthia Newton called the treatment of Fred Bramich, 44 "disgusting" and "horrible"

"This was a very bad case, the jury decided it was a very bad case,"  Newton said, according to a court transcript provided by Bramich's attorney.

A jury acquitted Bramich (left) last month of charges that he violently resisted arrest and committed battery against a police officer.

Now Bramich has hired a civil lawyer and is preparing to sue Gulfport police for using excessive force.

"It's scary that police can do something like this," said attorney Robert Tager, who said today he is preparing a civil  rights lawsuit that will be filed in either state or federal court.

Bramich's problems began in August 2007 when a neighbor called Gulfport police to issue a trespass warning to Bramich because of alleged threats he had made to the neighbor.

According to police reports, Bramich walked away from police during the investigation. They followed and attempted to arrest him in his driveway.

The incident escalated and police struck Bramich with batons and Tasered him multiple times.

Bramich ran to his mother's house nearby.

"He was screaming for them to stop, you're going to kill me," recalls his mother, Judith Jarosch.

Police followed Bramich onto Jarosch's screened porch  and again struck him with batons and their taser guns.

"My son kept calling for me, yelling 'Mother make them stop'," said Jarosch.

Her husband, Alexander, was also struck with a baton and later threatened with arrest for obstructing the police officers.

During the altercation, Jarosch telephoned Bramich's father, a New York police officer, for help in getting the Gulfport police to stop.

"My son has never broken the law," said Jarosch. "He is a family man who lives with his 14-year-old-son."

Bramich, who feared at the time he was having a heart attack, was treated by paramedics and taken to Palms of Pasadena Hospital.

Photographs in the court file show large bruises and Taser burns over his body.

Bramich was arrested and charged with two counts of resisting arrest  with violence, two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and one count of resisting arrest without violence.

During the trial last month, one of the battery counts was dismissed.

According to Bramich's criminal attorney, J. Andrew Crawford, much of  the testimony focused on the extensive injuries suffered by Bramich,  including one 50,000-volt Taser stun that lasted more than 20 seconds.

On Sept. 17, Bramich was acquitted on all but the misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence.

The next day, prosecutor Robert Bruce wanted Judge Cynthia  Newton to order Bramich to pay the police department for investigative  costs and medical reimbursement Bramich received in jail for the injuries caused by the police officers.

The judge refused, and also denied any payment for injuries claimed by one of the police officers during the altercation with Bramich.

"The jury rejected what the officer said. I was disgusted by this case," said Newton. "This man was Tasered multiple times, beaten with an ASP (metal baton) for no reason. It was disgusting."

When Bruce repeatedly argued that Bramich should have to pay the costs, the judge said Bruce had an "absolute blind spot to what this defendant was put through.''

The Gulfport Police Department today declined comment, citing the possibility of litigation. BayNews 9 reported that an internal police department review found that the officers involved in 
the Bramich case - Steven Woodman and Thomas Beltran  - acted appropriately.

Sheila Estrada, Times correspondent

Photo courtesy Pinellas County Sheriff's Office

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