COVINGTON, Ky. — It was an eventful February for Covington Police Officer Doug Ullrich, who won his fourth court fight over the constitutionality of his law enforcement tactics while a new lawsuit was filed against him — his ninth since 2021.
U.S. District Judge S. Chad Meredith sided with Ullrich, Officer Anthony Fritsch and the City of Covington in a 2024 case alleging the officers used excessive force while arresting Covington resident Ashley Ferreiras.
“Given that the plaintiff resisted arrest and assaulted the police, it was not objectively unreasonable for the police to subdue her by striking her twice, placing her in handcuffs, and forcing her into the back of a police car,” Judge Meredith wrote. “Thus, the plaintiff’s excessive-force claim is unavailing. And so are her other claims.”
Ferreiras’ attorney, Justin Whittaker, declined to comment on the ruling but added: “We will let the appellate process play out.”
You can see the body camera from Ferreiras' arrest here:
The Ferreiras case is one of 16 lawsuits filed against Covington police officers since 2021. The city has yet to be found liable in any of the cases. Two of them were settled without an admission of liability.
“The rulings issued so far show that the actions taken by our officers were professional, lawful, and within established operating procedures,” Captain Justin Bradbury wrote in an email response to the WCPO 9 I-Team’s request for an interview. “The Covington Police Department is committed to professional policing, accountability, and ensuring that officers carry out their duties responsibly while protecting the people and visitors of Covington.”
The I-Team did an extensive report on Ullrich’s history with the department in October. At that time, the city had been named in 14 lawsuits since 2021, with Ullrich named in seven of those cases. In the last five months, two new lawsuits have been filed in which three people allege Ullrich and other Covington officers violated their constitutional rights during traffic stops.
Ferreiras was recovering from left ankle surgery when Covington officers stopped her boyfriend’s car near her home on May 4, 2023. Her complaint alleged Ullrich and Fritsch violated the department’s use of force rules by pulling away her crutches, punching her in the head and stepping on her foot after she fell to the ground.
“It was Ullrich who began yelling at Ferreiras from the start in aggressive and threatening language,” Ferreiras’ attorney argued in court filings. “He then escalated the confrontation by grabbing her, discarding her crutch, and placing her under arrest for a minor, non-violent offense that should have resulted in a ticket or fine according to the statute.”
In its motion for summary judgment, the city argued Ferreiras actively resisted arrest after ignoring Ullrich’s orders to stay away from the traffic stop.
“From verbal noncompliance to outright assault, Ferreiras resisted Officer Ullrich’s efforts to arrest her for nearly seven minutes,” said the filing. “In those minutes, she pulled away from, hit, kicked, and bit Officer Ullrich.”
Judge Meredith ruled the officers were entitled to qualified immunity for their actions, but didn’t need it because “Officer Ullrich acted reasonably and did not subject Ferreiras to excessive force.”
The ruling repeatedly noted that Ferreiras was convicted by a Kenton County jury of assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief for her actions that night.
“Ferreiras does not contest that Officers Ullrich and Fritsch had probable cause to arrest her for a variety of crimes, including assault,” Judge Meredith wrote. “Thus, Officer Ullrich had the right to arrest Ferreiras for her offense and use the amount of force necessary to detain her.”
It’s the third time since 2024 that Ullrich has been cleared of liability in cases that alleged he violated the constitutional rights of people during traffic stops. He also won a 2025 dismissal in a jailhouse complaint that accused him of fabricating evidence.
In the five cases still pending against Ullrich, the city has filed motions to dismiss all or part of three cases. Proceedings are delayed in a fourth case while criminal charges are pending against the plaintiff. The city has yet to respond to a fifth case, filed Feb. 27.
