Fan who allegedly punched police horse suing Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles fan who was arrested for punching a police horse prior to the NFC Championship Game in January has filed a lawsuit against the team and police.

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday, Andrew Tornetta, 20, claims he didn't punch the horse and alleges officers beat him for no reason, according to Joseph A. Gambardello of Philly.com. The suit goes on to state that he has suffered "physical pain, discomfort, trauma, humiliation, embarrassment, emotional distress, sleeplessness, anxiety, inability to perform simple activities of daily living, depression characterized by feelings of despair, hopelessness, and despondency ..." as a result of his "false" arrest.

Tornetta was being escorted away from a large crowd that had gathered in the Lincoln Financial Field parking lot for the Jan. 21 game when he allegedly punched the horse twice on the shoulder and struck a mounted police officer below his right eye. It was the second time in as many weeks that an Eagles fan was charged with punching a police horse outside the stadium.

The suit alleges that officers hit Tornetta in his head and face with batons and forced him to lay face down in the parking lot while he was bleeding. The suit also says Tornetta was "demonized" by the news media and social media "reporting upon his assault on police and his cruelty towards an animal."

Tornetta was initially charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and failure to disperse, but the charges were withdrawn in March after he completed 12 hours of community service and paid $222 in court fees.