Lawyer: To file complaint with Revere Police was ‘useless’

REVERE – The attorney for the man suing the city of Revere and three police officers said Thursday his client never filed a formal complaint with the police department because they expected nothing would get done.”It was useless to do, so we went directly to the suit,” said Stephen Hrones, a lawyer representing 37-year-old Ferdy Argueta of Beachmont.The lawsuit that was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston says Patrolman Joseph DeLeo punched Argueta in the face during a traffic stop Feb. 10, 2008 on Lee Burbank Highway as Patrolmen Mark Birritteri and Lynn Romboli looked on.Hrones says Argueta has a “slight, permanent scar” on the bridge of his nose and had a swollen lip as a result of being punched by the officer.”The big thing is the emotional harm this has done to him,” Hrones said. “I’ve done a lot of these types of cases and I’ve never seen an individual that has taken this so hard.”Argueta is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the city and the three officers and is demanding a jury trial.”The main thing we’re doing is suing the police as a deterrent so this doesn’t happen again. The police never control their own. If we complain to the police it would be useless,” Hrones said.Mayor Thomas Ambrosino and Police Captain Michael Murphy say they have not received paperwork of the lawsuit, therefore cannot comment on the specifics of the case.”We haven’t been served as far as I know,” Ambrosino said Thursday.Murphy says the department hasn’t opened an internal investigation into the officers yet because it has not received paperwork of the lawsuit.”When I see the allegations then I can answer that question,” Murphy said.