Holding D.C. Police Accountable for Alleged False Arrest, Assault, and Imprisonment of District Resident
Jackson v. District of Columbia et al.
In 2023, we filed a lawsuit against the District of Columbia and two Metropolitan Police Department Officers (MPD) alleging that MPD officer seized and arrested Mr. Jackson without probable cause within seconds of approaching him on a sidewalk, assaulted him during the arrest, and then jailed Mr. Jackson for over 24 hours.
As described in the complaint, Mr. Jackson was standing outside in his neighborhood with some friends, wearing a face mask on a chilly day, when police officers abruptly pulled their vehicle up near him, grabbed him, put him in handcuffs, and placed him under arrest, all within a matter of seconds. Our lawsuit alleges that the officers falsely accused Mr. Jackson of driving a car that fled from police two days earlier, claiming to recognize Mr. Jackson as the driver even though he was wearing a face mask when they grabbed him.
According to the complaint, had the officers conducted even the simplest of investigations they could have easily determined that Mr. Jackson was not the person they were looking for: objective evidence showed that he was not in the area where the car allegedly fled from police, and he had no association with the car. Instead, per the complaint, the officers immediately grabbed an innocent man, embarrassed him in front of his neighbors, roughed him up to the point that medical attention was needed, and forced him to spend the night in jail. No charges were ever brought against Mr. Jackson, but he was left physically and emotionally traumatized from the encounter.
On behalf of Mr. Jackson, Civil Rights Corps has raised several claims against the police officers involved and the District of Columbia: False Arrest/False Imprisonment under the Fourth Amendment, Common Law False Arrest/False Imprisonment, Assault and Battery, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Negligence, and Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress.
Partners:
Filings:
More from the Accountability
Horton v. Rangos. In 2022, we filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of individuals detained at Allegheny County Jail against three Allegheny County judges, as well as other county, jail, and probation department officials.
Holland v. Otero. On January 29, 2025, Civil Rights Corps filed a lawsuit against 6 Houston Police Department officers on behalf of Houston resident Terrence Holland. Mr. Holland has multiple physical, cognitive, and psychological disabilities, including PTSD, hearing impairments, and a traumatic brain injury. The complaint alleges that defendant HPD officers used overwhelming and excessive force on Mr. Holland when they repeatedly hit, kicked, punched, and tased him during a minor traffic stop.
Civil Rights Corps v. LaSalle. In response to the filing of the first Accountability NY complaints in 2021, NYC Corporate Counsel sent a letter to the Grievance Committees claiming that the professors had engaged in “misuse and indeed abuse of the grievance process" that "should not be countenanced.” In November 2021, we filed a federal lawsuit and won a big victory for transparency in June 2022, when the court granted our motion for partial summary judgment.
Civil Rights Corps worked with an amazing group of organizers at Silicon Valley De-Bug and law professor Lara Bazelon on an ethics complaint alleging judicial misconduct in San Mateo County, California. The complaint, citing court transcripts, court watchers’ observations, and local and statewide reports, was filed in August 2024, alleging that multiple judges and judicial […]
Rise v. Bagshaw. In 2024, Civil Rights Corps filed a landmark lawsuit challenging alleged police brutality in Washington, DC, against the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the United States Capitol Police (USCP).
McWashington v. Rodgers. Mr. McWashington, a Black man, was pulled over for slow rolling through stop signs in Houston. Our lawsuit alleges that, despite the fact that Mr. McWashington complied with commands to get out of the car – at one point laying on the ground with visibly empty hands – Houston Police Department officers released an out-of-control K9 on him, which mauled and harmed him grievously.
Harrington v. Lancaster. In January 2024, Civil Rights Corps filed a federal lawsuit against three members of the Harris County Constables, Precinct 2 on behalf of Harris County resident Tyler Harrington. The complaint alleges that officers James Lancaster, Nathaniel Cano, and Jared Lindsay conducted a warrantless no-knock entry into Mr. Harrington’s home in the middle of the night and held him at gunpoint. The complaint raises several claims against the defendants, including violations of the Fourth Amendment for unlawful entry, unlawful search, unlawful seizure, and excessive force.
Lewis v. District of Columbia. Our lawsuit alleges that, on two separate occasions, Malaika Lewis and her minor daughter, N.L., were subjected to horrendous treatment at the hands of police officers. After Ms. Lewis contacted police for help locating her older daughter, the lawsuit alleges that police officers separated Ms. Lewis from her younger daughter, N.L., for hours while attempting to illegally search her apartment based on one officer's unfounded hunch that she was somehow hiding a boyfriend who had committed an unspecified crime.
Ramos v Erwin. In 2023, Civil Rights Corps filed a lawsuit against 5 Houston Police Department officers on behalf of Houston resident Alberto Ramos. The complaint alleges that defendant HPD officers racially profiled, hogtied, and arrested Mr. Ramos without probable cause.