COLUMBUS POLICE SUED FOR ALLEGED RIGHTS ABUSES

The U.S. Justice Department sued the Columbus,Ohio,Police Department
Thursday, accusing it of civil rights abuses that included excessive
force, false arrests and improper searches.

The government said it reviewed more than 300 complaints before making
Columbus only the third U.S. city to be threatened with a lawsuit by
department's Civil Rights Division under a 1994 federal law.

Steubenville, Ohio, and Pittsburgh reached agreements known as consent
decrees in which they promised to correct problems in the training,
supervision and discipline of officers.

The lawsuit against the 1,700-member Columbus force demands
improvements in the training and supervision of police officers, and
the investigation of civilian complaints.

Among other things, the Justice Department of falsely arresting or
charging people who saw police misconduct or were believed likely to
complain of misconduct.