A 21-year-old black man has filed a lawsuit accusing police officers of a chaotic police department in Kentucky's largest city of false arrest and excessive force.
Lawyers said in a lawsuit filed this month in Jefferson Circuit Court that Louisville Metro Police Department officers arrested Jamael Benedict last year as he walked on the sidewalk near a stolen car. The complaint alleges that officers “had no reasonable suspicion or probable cause” to make the arrest in connection with the stolen vehicle and the stolen gun found nearby.
“Despite the fact that they acted in accordance with the customs and practices of the LMPD in violation of the rights of African-American citizens in Kentucky, particularly African-American men, they acted in accordance with reliable information relayed to police and available information.” “He ignored all sources, including the defendant officer and other LMPD officers at the scene,” the complaint states.
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Louisville Metro Police declined to comment on pending litigation, but said in a statement that the department is committed to making the city a safer place to live and work.
“LMPD is committed to providing fair, impartial and constitutional police services to the residents of Louisville,” the statement said. “The public expects our nation's police officers to perform difficult tasks under challenging conditions and maintain a high level of professionalism. We uphold and live up to that expectation every day. We even exceed that.”
One of the officers parked his unmarked police vehicle on a sidewalk curb and got out with his gun drawn, and even though Benedict complied, the officer continued to curse and point the gun at him in a forceful manner. Benedict said in his lawsuit that he feared he would be shot. Another police officer made the arrest.
Jamael Benedict filed a lawsuit accusing Louisville police officers of false arrest and excessive force after he was arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle and stolen gun. The charges against Benedict were dismissed. (Fox News)
The defendants knew that their actions failed to establish a reasonable suspicion or probable cause, including intentional unwanted touching, intentional handcuffing, and fatal shooting. It caused fear, Benedict said in his lawsuit.
Police said in a statement that Benedict was seen walking near the stolen vehicle at the time of his arrest, and that a witness saw Benedict driving the vehicle before officers arrived. . Another witness contradicted the first witness at a preliminary hearing, and the grand jury declined to indict Benedict. The charges were dismissed.
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In March, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that an investigation into the shooting death of Breonna Taylor found that the Louisville Police Department violated constitutional rights and discriminated against black people.
A Justice Department report said Louisville police “discriminated against Black people in enforcement operations,” using excessive force and conducting searches based on invalid warrants.
A consent decree between the Justice Department and the Louisville Police Department that would allow a federal judge to oversee police reform has not yet been finalized.
