The man says the beating he suffered inside this jail has left him out of work and with medical bills he can't afford. Now he's hoping a lawsuit against the city can help get him some action.
His chest and sides are black and blue. His legs are swollen and covered with sores. There's even more bruises across his groin and neck. And John Abbott and his attorney claim those disturbing injuries all happened at Houston City Jail.
"I just want to make sure that something like this doesn't happen to anyone else," Abbott said.
Abbott just filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Houston, claiming a group of unidentified jail officers kicked, stomped and severely beat him up after a public intoxication arrest in November 2012.
"They thought that I was intoxicated, I had a brain bleed that had started, so I wasn't very lucid," Abbott said.
Court records show the misdemeanor intoxication charge was later dropped. But Abbott and his attorney say the city won't show them the jail's internal video of the alleged beating incident that left him hospitalized for weeks.
"I was unconscious for four days with three fractured vertebrae, internal bleeding, near death," Abbott said.
"Well the city should pay for every single dollar and for the severe pain that he went through and the permanent damages he suffers today," Abbott's attorney Randall Kallinen said.
The mayor's office released the following statement regarding Abbott's lawsuit:
"The city has just received the complaint. We disagree with the factual allegations of the lawsuit and intend a vigorous defense of the city's position."
Abbott says he's still recovering from the alleged jailhouse attack and wants to get back to work.
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