A lawsuit has been filed against a renowned healthcare institution, accusing it of misconduct involving its security personnel. On December 17, 2025, Alex Bodiford Esq. lodged a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and its associated police department. The complaint details a series of alleged civil rights violations that occurred during an incident at the clinic’s premises.
The plaintiff, Alex Bodiford, an Akron resident, claims that his visit to the Cleveland Clinic on December 19, 2024, ended in an unlawful arrest and mistreatment by the clinic’s police officers. Bodiford had accompanied his mother for surgery at the facility and encountered issues retrieving their vehicle from valet service due to inadequate signage about operational hours. When attempting to re-enter the Crile building to escape freezing temperatures while contacting valet services, he was allegedly assaulted by a Cleveland Clinic employee identified as Brendan Doe. The situation escalated when Doe called upon the Cleveland Clinic Police Department (CCPD), leading to Bodiford’s arrest by officers P.O. Zweifel and CPL. Smith without probable cause.
Bodiford asserts that his constitutional rights were violated under 42 USC § 1983 through false arrest, unlawful search, and excessive force used by CCPD officers. He recounts being handcuffed and searched without consent or justification after providing evidence of his legitimate presence at the clinic—namely a valet ticket and information regarding his mother’s surgery. Despite this evidence, Bodiford alleges that he was detained unjustly and subjected to physical aggression when officers pushed him off clinic property.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages exceeding $75,000 for physical and emotional distress caused by these events, Bodiford is pursuing punitive damages against both the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and individual defendants involved in his case. His complaint highlights failures in training and supervision within CCPD as contributing factors to his ordeal, referencing past incidents of excessive force involving CCPD officers.
Representing Bodiford is attorney Dan Smith from Troy, Michigan. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:25-cv-02727-CAB.
Source: 125cv02727_Bodiford_v_Cleveland_Clinic_Foundation_Complaint_Northern_District_Ohio.pdf
