BLUEFIELD — A woman is alleging the Mercer County Commission is responsible for her state and federal constitutional rights being violated by several sheriff's deputies.
Tammy Pennington filed the lawsuit against the Mercer County Commission, Mercer County Sheriff Tommy Bailey, Deputy Lt. Murphy and five unknown and unnamed deputies and/or officers, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Pennington claims the defendants confronted her in early December 2019 after a hearing and despite no provocation, intentionally put handcuffs on her that were too tight and broke her skin and caused blood loss. She claims she now has a permanent scar on one of her wrists.
Pennington alleges that she was also forcefully struck in the chest by an unknown deputy and suffered from injuries, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, agoraphobia and depression, among other things.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented by Kerry A. Nessel of The Nessel Law Firm in Huntington.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia case number: 1:21-cv-00070