Warren police official's previous alleged victim not surprised by new allegations

WARREN, Mich. (WJBK) - The Warren Deputy police commissioner was put on administrative leave accused of excessive force during a recent arrest. 

Excessive force accusations against Deputy Commissioner Matthew Nichols are all too familiar to a woman who sued him for the same thing and racial profiling back in 2003.

Since then, and five more similar lawsuits, he not only kept his job, he kept getting promoted. 

"I was powerless, there was nothing at that point for me to do, but to just allow it to happen," said Dr. Danielle Moncrief-Alexander.

Dr. Danielle Moncrief-Alexander is reopening a painful chapter. The Warren police officer, Matthew Nichols, who she says choked her following a traffic stop 15 years ago - is on leave for allegedly using excessive force on someone else. 

"Essentially this man has been able to move on as if nothing has happened," Moncrief said.

Moncrief says she was arrested for an expired registration in her early 20s. Once they got to the police station she says Nichols started making racial slurs. When she took offense and spoke up, she says he got physical.

In our 2003 interview, she said: "He grabbed me by my neck and started choking me and he just laid me down on this bench, I couldn't breathe."

Her lawsuit was later settled. This was one of six against Nichols with similar claims. They were either settled or dismissed without prejudice. 

Nichols continued to move up the ladder with Warren PD. Last year, he was promoted to deputy police commissioner. 

"I took the legal actions that I took so that this would never happen again," Moncrief said. "To hear that not only has he been able to but that he's been promoted is very disheartening."

Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer tells FOX 2 they're Dwyer was put on administrative leave Wednesday, pending their investigation. 

Dwyer says the claims stem from a recent arrest in a retail fraud call, while Nichols was on duty.

"It's going to be thoroughly investigated, we take this very seriously," Dwyer said.

Dwyer wouldn't elaborate and says Nichols deserves due process.

"We are interviewing a number of officers that were at the scene of the incident and did take a statement from the deputy commissioner," Dwyer said.

"I didn't know anything about racism until this guy did this thing," Moncrief said. 

She is now a psychologist and has moved on, but is hoping this is it for Nichols. 

"I'm hoping this last incident will be the final straw but there is a message that's being given by allowing him to remain in power."