Kolowena’s complaint was first filed in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in March 2024 and later filed in Dayton’s federal district court.
An attorney representing Kolowena did not return a request for comment. The Dayton Police Department was not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, but a DPD spokesperson forwarded a request for comment on the settlement to the city’s law department.
The lawsuit alleges that Kolowena’s sister, who was a minor at the time, called the Dayton Police Department around 9:50 p.m. on April 23, 2022, requesting assistance at a Danner Avenue residence. Kolowena was present when DPD officers — Elyzabeth McDonald, Riley Brown, Dorain Mercer and Jordan Fader — were at the Dayton home.
Police placed Kolowena’s sister under arrest, an interaction the lawsuit describes as “aggressive and elevated.”
Kolowena pulled out her cellphone and began recording the altercation — “an absolute right” she had, according to the lawsuit.
Dayton police became angry with Kolowena and began physically restraining her, according to the suit, using their “combined weight and force” and throwing Kolowena to the ground.
A Jan. 6 memo sent to Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein from Dayton Law Director Barbara Doseck requested that the city approve the settlement.
This news outlet requested a copy of the incident report from the April 2022 call.
Kolowena was charged with misconduct at an emergency and obstruction of official business. Her 2023 trial ruled her not guilty of those counts, according to the lawsuit and municipal court records.
The lawsuit states that Kolowena suffered “severe and permanent physical pain and injuries” like a closed head injury and knee sprains. Kolowena also lost her job following the incident.
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