The American Civil Liberties Union claims in a new lawsuit that Miami Beach police illegally arrested a gay man and violated his civil rights. The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court seeks unspecified damages on behalf of Harold Strickland. Strickland was arrested in March 2009 after calling 911 to report that two officers were beating a handcuffed man near a local park. The ACLU contends Strickland was arrested in retaliation for making that call. The lawsuit also contends officers lied about how and why Strickland was arrested. The charges were later dropped by prosecutors.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.