William Foley, 84, has a long arrest record -- five times in 2011 alone — but Tresa Baldas writes in the Free Press that Foley says the legal encounters revolve around his passion: fighting for better living conditions for seniors and veterans.
Foley's battling has landed him in federal court, where he is now pursuing a civil rights lawsuit that claims he was retaliated against for complaining about things he had a right to complain about: unsafe drinking water and unsafe elevators.
Foley's case in federal court started April 27, 2011, when he filed a civil suit against more than a dozen defendants in Oakland County.
Foley has settled nearly all of his claims — some were dismissed — and has only two defendants left: two Wolverine Lake police officers whom he claims wrongfully arrested him and used excessive force in the process. The officers claim they did nothing wrong and that Foley’s own conduct led to his arrest.
Living at Walled Lake Villa, Foley discovered several safety code violations involving elevators that caused residents to be stranded routinely, Baldas writes. He reported the problems to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which funded the complex.
That led to him stopping people from boarding the elevator — and an eviction notice.
His attorney, Hugh Davis, told Baldas: "You have a right to complain to the government about whatever you think is wrong. And when you get retaliated against for that — that’s a violation of your First Amendment Rights.”
Michael Wachsberg, the officers' attorney, said: "Mr. Foley has been a troublemaker wherever he’s resided the last few years,” Wachsberg said. “And he’s caused problems amongst the managers of the places he’s resided and with other residents ... to the point where he’s posed a hazard to them.”
According to the police report, when the officers found Foley, he was uncooperative and yelled at the officers when asked about the elevator incident. When they warned he could be arrested for his behavior, “he jumped out of his chair toward the officers and stuck out his wrists, stating, ‘Take me to jail then!’ ” the police report stated.
