At 5-foot-6 and 140 pounds, Clarissa Sabedra wasn’t imposing. Yet, according to a lawsuit she filed in federal court, two Phoenix police officers treated her like a physical threat, pinning her on hot pavement that severely burned her legs to the point where she needed treatment in a hospital burn unit.
In the lawsuit, filed May 30, Sabedra sued the city of Phoenix and the two officers involved, claiming battery, negligence and violation of her Fourth Amendment rights.
Sabedra’s encounter with officers took place on June 1, 2024. According to a report by officer Nicholas Gastelum, the 27-year-old woman came home drunk around 1 p.m. and started arguing with family members. It’s unclear from the report who called the police. Both her mother, Mary Lou Hernandez, and brother, Anthony Hernandez, were listed as victims…