A Virginia Tech student jailed on a drunken driving charge was beaten by Roanoke sheriff's deputies who were annoyed by his burping, according to a federal lawsuit.
Thomas Scott Vandegrift, 24, said in the lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Roanoke that his burps, caused by acid reflux, led deputies in the Roanoke jail to twist his arms behind his back while he was handcuffed, force him to his knees and beat him.
The attack was part of "an institutionalized practice" of rough treatment by deputies and was covered up by Sheriff Octavia Johnson, the lawsuit says. Vandegrift's attorney, John Fishwick of Roanoke, said in a statement the lawsuit "raises important issues," but declined to elaborate.
Sheriff's office spokeswoman Patricia Johnson said there would be no comment on Vandegrift's lawsuit.
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