EAST ST. LOUIS — A former St. Louis police officer who was wounded in a melee outside a Pontoon Beach bar last fall has filed a federal lawsuit against the village and its officer who shot him.

Christopher M. Hantak claims Pontoon Beach Officer Aaron Morgan used excessive force after arriving Nov. 9, 2008, outside Mac N Mick's Sports Bar & Grill.

According to his suit filed in federal court in East St. Louis Thursday, Hantak was at the bar that night with several other city officers and friends, and ran into the parking lot when he heard several shots.

Hantak says he was wearing his St. Louis police identification around his neck when Pontoon Beach officers arrived. Morgan, with weapon drawn, approached Hantak and began firing, according to the suit. Two shots hit Hantak, in the neck and back.

Authorities have said that Hantak was armed that night, a detail that he did not include in his lawsuit. His suit, filed by attorney Chet Pleban, says the Pontoon Beach officer fired "under circumstances in which a reasonable officer would not have believed that Hantak's actions place him or others in the immediate vicinity in imminent danger."

Hantak also is suing Chris Modrusic, another Pontoon Beach officer on the scene that night, alleging a failure to intervene. The village, its Police Department and Police Chief Charles Luehmann are accused in the suit of improperly training the officers and conspiracy to deprive Hantak of his civil rights.

The village attorney did not return a call seeking comment.

Hantak, who claims he suffered serious and permanent injuries to his face, sinuses, eye, jaw and chest, seeks unspecified actual and punitive damages.

In a statement last fall, Madison County State's Attorney William Mudge said a grand jury decided that the Pontoon Beach officer was justified in shooting Hantak.

The incident began when another St. Louis officer, Bryan Pour, got involved in a dispute outside the bar. Mudge said Pour shot a civilian named Jeffrey Bladdick in the chest with a department-issued pistol as Bladdick "tried to alleviate the situation." Bladdick survived.

Pontoon Beach officers arrived to find several armed men and ordered them to drop their weapons, authorities said. Hantak, who was reportedly intoxicated, did not comply and was shot when he pointed his weapon in the direction of Morgan, Mudge said in a statement last year.

Hantak, Pour and another St. Louis officer were fired after the incident.

Pour was indicted in Madison County on a charge of aggravated battery with a firearm. He was released on $100,000 bond. His trial is pending.