Victim in Finasisu homicide sued DPS for police brutality

The plot thickens in the homicide case of Jin Dong Wang and Shuping “Lily” Liu after it came to light that Wang had previously sued the Department of Public Safety for $100,000, alleging police brutality.

Wang, one of the two individuals who were found brutally killed last Jan. 4 at their home in Finasisu, was also the plaintiff in a police brutality case filed over 10 years ago.

It was learned during an interview with DPS last Tuesday that one of the findings of the investigation into Wang’s murder was that he is known to police as he was involved in a drug bust in 2010.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, Wang fell victim to a case of false identity when he was mistaken for a known drug supplier and was allegedly forcefully arrested by former police officer Jesse Dubrall. That led to Wang filing a $100,000 lawsuit against DPS and Dubrall back in 2011. He was represented in the case by lawyer Robert J. O’Connor. Wang sued Dubrall for assault and battery, false arrest, emotional distress, violation of civil rights, and negligence. He sued DPS and former DPS commissioner Santiago Tudela for negligence and violation of civil rights.

The case never made it to trial as it was learned that DPS settled with Wang over a year later, ultimately leading to the dismissal of the complaint.

Aside from his history with police, DPS also disclosed during last Tuesday’s interview that Wang and Liu had called police for assistance two weeks prior to the murder to report a break-in. DPS did not provide updates on the break-in but stated that investigators are looking at the report as a possible angle in the gruesome killings.

In the mistaken identity incident in 2010, Wang had reportedly gone outside his apartment in As Lito at 8pm on Oct. 18, 2010, to go to another apartment unit. That’s when he saw two individuals on the first floor of the apartment shining a flashlight up at him.

One of the two men came up. Wang claims he did not know who they were, but he thought that the man with a gun, later identified as Dubrall, was a policeman.

The complaint said Dubrall allegedly told Wang to get down, prompting Wang to stop walking. Wang claims that Dubrall, without provocation, hit him on the head with the gun’s butt and kicked him in the ribs and buttocks several times.

Dubrall allegedly handcuffed Wang’s hands behind his back, took his wallet, then went inside the house while Wang was lying on the floor, bleeding.

Later, Wang claims he heard his wife talking to police officers downstairs before a police officer came and removed Wang’s handcuffs, and helped him up.

After allegedly helping Wang clean up the blood from his head, another officer showed Wang’s wife a picture of a certain Qiu Junding and asked if she knew him.

Wang’s wife answered that Junding was a neighbor in the same building and told them to talk to the owner of the building who lives in the first room upstairs.

Wang allegedly suffered severe injuries on his head, abdomen, buttocks, and legs because of the assault. In addition, Wang claims he sustained a concussion, rib contusion, spine contusion, blurred vision, and post-traumatic nightmares.

Wang claims his injuries required referral to medical specialists and medical attention for several months.

In September 2011, Wang filed his suit against DPS, its commissioner, and Dubrall.