Columbus police officers accused in a federalcivil-rights lawsuit of using excessive force on an
Ohio StateUniversity student over what later amounted to a litter violation saidin a court filing Wednesday
that they punched the young man up to seventimes, sprayed mace in his face and hog-tied him, but that they
didnothing wrong.In their first response to the lawsuit, filed inOctober by 21-year-old Joseph Hines, of
Jackson, Mich., the officerssaid their actions came during the course of an arrest, that they
were"acting under color of law" and that they should be immune from beingsued."Defendants
deny that they violated any constitutionally protected right or any law," according to the
filing.Thelawsuit accuses the officers of a "brutal, unjustified physical attack"on Aug. 29, 2012,
that left Hines unconscious, led to a three-dayhospitalization and caused permanent scarring. He’s seeking a
minimum of$75,000.Hines was arrested after police say they saw himdrinking beer with other students near
Ohio State’s student union. Hedenies he was drinking.Hines later pleaded guilty to a littering charge
stemming from his arrest and paid a $100 fine. Five other charges were dropped.AlthoughHines was unarmed and
handcuffed, the lawsuit accused officers ofthrowing him to the ground, yanking on his arms to cause the
handcuffsto cut deeply into his wrists, repeatedly punching him in the head andhog-tying him.Hines was left
with injuries to his head, eyes, andwrists; has permanent scarring; and has endured mental
anguish,humiliation, and severe emotional distress as a result, the lawsuitsays.The officers deny
purposefully using the handcuffs to cutHines’ wrists or throwing him to the ground while he was handcuffed,
buttheir response said that one officer punched Hines in the "lefttemple/eye area three to six times
with quick, repetitive, hammer-likepunches," and that another officer punched him in the
shoulder.Thelawsuit also accuses the officers involved of conspiring with eachother to lie about the beating
and failing to accurately report theiruse of force. They denied that accusation.Hines’ father, a pastorat a
church Jackson, Mich., distributed fliers across the Ohio Statecampus following the beating, showing
pictures of his son with a bloodyand swollen face and asking: "Is this justice, or is this
policebrutality?" and "What if it were your child?"___Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at
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