Black store owner reports robbery, gets punched by officer

DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama liquor store owner has sued after a police officer responding to a robbery call at his store punched him in the face and broke his jaw in March 2020. Kevin Penn sued the city of Decatur and police officer Justin Rippen on March 11 in federal court. Penn is Black and Rippen is white. The suit says the incident is only one example of use of “excessive force” by the Decatur Police Department. The suit says city leaders ignore the excessive force. The city attorney is declining comment, saying it hasn’t yet received the lawsuit. The suit seeks money damages.