Panama City will soon be heading to federal court to defend itself and its police department against two lawsuits filed this week.

63-year-old Robert King and his wife Carla are suing the city, Chief John Van Etten and five police officers for use of excessive force and false imprisonment.

The Okaloosa County couple's lawyer says King stopped to help a female pedestrian who had been hit by a car on East 15th street two years ago.

King comforted the woman until Paramedics arrived. King says the police officers never told him to move away from the woman. He says they grabbed him, slammed him against the car, took him to an area away from their dash mounted cameras, and tasered him
three times.

Two bystanders objected, but police wouldn’t listen.

A jury found king not guilty of resisting an officer without violence. He says he suffered mental and physical damage and wants unspecified damages exceeding $75,000.

On Monday, Panama City police officer Wendy Entrekin sued the city for damages, saying she was a victim of sexual harassment by her Lieutenant. Entrekin says when she objected, she suffered retaliation.

Both cases have been assigned to Judge Richard Smoak.