Honolulu Police Department and the city faced a civil lawsuit last week from a homeless man for humiliating him.

Samuel Ingall, the victim, claimed that the officers made him lick a urinal in a public restroom in January 2018 where he sought refuge.

Police Chief Susan Ballard handed over the case to the FBI in 2018. The prime accused officer John Rabago pleaded guilty in December 2019 in a federal court for conspiring to violate Ingall’s civil right as another officer Reginald Ramones, pleaded guilty to not reporting the abuse, according to Hawaii News Now.

The lawsuit that came on the heels of the December federal court proceeding stated that one of the officers used “aggressive tone” while commanding him to carry out the task. He told Ingall that it was the only way to avoid arrest. Another officer obstructed the camera lenses from capturing the incident by holding a door ajar. Ingall, “against his will, knelt before the urinal and licked the urinal," per the lawsuit.

Rabago then followed him out of the bathroom and mockingly shared the details of the incident with fellow officers. He was placed on restricted duty since the December arraignment and Ramones left the department in August.

“For now, we’ll decline comment on the pending litigation,” ABC News quoted city spokesperson Alexander Zannes, as saying.

Rabago’s Defense attorney Megan Kau said Monday that his guilty plea has potentially put the city at risk. Ramones’ attorney wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Ingall was in rehab and plans to go to a cleaner and sober house, Myles Breiner, his attorney, said.

A homeless man sits on the pavement in central London
A homeless man sits on the pavement in central London Reuters
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