The homeless man who was forced to lick a urinal to avoid arrest by two Honolulu police officers in 2018 is suing those officers, the department and the city.

In a civil lawsuit filed in 1st Circuit Court, Samuel Ingall accused them of negligence, causing emotional distress, false imprisonment, unlawful seizure, and assault and battery, among other charges.

On Jan. 28, 2018, Officers John Rabago and Reginald Ramones told Ingall in an “aggressive tone” that the only way he could avoid arrest was to lick the urinal in the public restroom where the plaintiff was seeking shelter, according to the complaint.

Rabago pleaded guilty to depriving Ingall of his civil rights in a criminal case in November. Ramones pleaded guilty in September to a lesser charge of failing to inform authorities about the civil rights violation.

The civil complaint also alleged that Rabago instructed Ramones to close the bathroom door to make sure that the misconduct would not be caught on videotape. They then allegedly intimidated and restrained Ingall against his will.

Ingall reluctantly knelt in front of the urinal and licked it against his will, the complaint said.

Rabago allegedly instructed Ramones to delete all text messages about the incident and told him not to tell authorities about it.

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