CLEVELAND, Ohio - Another civil lawsuit has been filed against the city of Warren, its police chief, and a former police officer, alleging sexual assault and claiming a widespread pattern of misconduct within the police department.

The complaint was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio by a 33-year-old Niles woman against the City of Warren, Police Chief Erik Merkel, and former officer Michael Edwards Jr.

The lawsuit mirrors previous complaints filed by three other women, all alleging that Edwards, while on duty, exploited his position to prey on vulnerable women. Edwards is currently serving a 34- to 39-year prison sentence following his conviction for sexual battery, theft in office, and dereliction of duty.

According to the complaint, Edwards sexually assaulted the woman in the fall of 2023. The woman alleges she first encountered Edwards in February 2023 when he responded to an emergency call regarding a friend's overdose. The lawsuit states that in September 2023, Edwards, in uniform and armed, directed her to follow his cruiser before sexually assaulting her.

The complaint further alleges that the City of Warren and Chief Merkel enabled Edwards' behavior by failing to investigate serious complaints in his personnel file dating back to at least 2019. It claims a "widespread custom and practice of on-duty police officers committing sexual assaults, sexual coercion, and sexual extortion against vulnerable women in the community" existed within the Warren Police Department.

The latest lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. She has also demanded a jury trial.

The previous lawsuit filed by three other women is currently moving through the federal court system. U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan has set a timeline for that case, with key deadlines extending into mid-2026, indicating a potentially lengthy legal process. Edwards, through his attorney, has denied most of the claims in the earlier lawsuit and is appealing his criminal conviction.

The new lawsuit could be consolidated with the existing case.