Massachusetts man sues local police, claims they planted evidence

A Lowell, Massachusetts, man who was arrested on drug charges last year sued the city and the arresting officer on Tuesday, claiming that the police department routinely used informants to plant evidence on suspects. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, Jonathan Santiago claimed the city of Lowell and police Detective Thomas Lafferty violated his civil rights against unreasonable search and seizure and due process. "For more than 20 years, the Lowell Police Department ignored its own written policies on the use of confidential informants," the suit claimed.Lowell’s top attorney said that the Middlesex County district attorney reviewed for several months the incident that prompted the suit and found no evidence of wrongdoing. "Their conclusion was that neither the city of Lowell nor in particular any members of their police department at any time engaged in any criminal or otherwise egregious activity in the course of performing their duties," said Christine O’Connor, city solicitor.