http://www.startribune.com/511/story/525140.html
Jamal Hassuneh, the owner of the damaged SUV and brother of the store
owner,
filed a lawsuit Thursday in Ramsey County District Court against Griffin
and
the city of Minneapolis.
The suit alleges that Griffin was watching a ****ographic DVD in his SUV
and
masturbating when he crashed about 2:30 a.m. on March 30. Griffin, 24, had
told the Star Tribune a day after the accident that a dropped cell phone
caused him to crash.
Neither Griffin nor his attorney, Ron Meshbesher, could be reached for
comment Thursday evening. Hassuneh's attorney, Michael Padden, said he had
no comment on the case, but he said the lawsuit speaks for itself.
Griffin had undergone alcohol abuse treatment in the past, and he joined
the
Timberwolves in October 2004. The suit alleges the team's organization
should have known that he wasn't maintaining his sobriety.
Timberwolves spokesman Mike Cristaldi said the team had no comment about
the
allegations that were made in the lawsuit. "We view it as an issue between
Eddie and the person filing suit," he said.
On the videotape from Santana Foods, Griffin has trouble putting on a
jacket
and repeatedly staggers and tells people in the store he is drunk.
The suit claims that the officers failed to conduct a criminal
investigation
against Griffin and that the city has failed to train officers adequately
in
cases involving drunken drivers.
Because the case is under internal investigation, interim Chief Tim Dolan
isn't allowed to comment.
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