From [HERE] On May 29th attorneys filed a lawsuit against San Bernadino that claims police officers unlawfully pulled over Elise Brown, an 84 year old Black woman, and ordered her to get out the car, kneel on the ground and to raise up her shirt in front of people on the street at gunpoint. The suit alleges that at least 10 officers were involved. She claims the officers were motivated by “racial animus.” The complaint states:

On July 7, 2019, Plaintiff, an 84 year-old Black woman, was driving her car complying with all applicable laws and committing no crime, when she was unlawfully pulled over by Defendant DOES 1-10 (“DOES”), who were employed as police officers of the Defendant City of Chino and/or deputies of Defendant COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO, without reasonable suspicion and/or probable cause that Plaintiff had committed any crime, unreasonably and unlawfully detained Plaintiff requiring her to get out of her car, kneel on the ground and raise her shirt up, humiliating her before the public and causing her severe, ongoing physical, mental and emotional distress.

Further, multiple DOES excessively and unreasonably held her at gunpoint during the entirety of the incident unreasonably long after it was or should have been apparent that Plaintiff was an 84-year-old woman and not a suspect in any crime, also causing her severe, ongoing physical, mental and emotional distress.

At no time was Plaintiff armed with any weapon, nor did DOES have any reasonable or lawful basis to believe that Plaintiff was armed with any weapon or a reasonable threat of death or bodily harm to anyone.

At no time during the course of these events did PLAINTIFF pose any reasonable or credible threat of death or serious bodily injury to Defendant DOES, nor did he do anything to justify the force used against her, and the same was deadly, excessive, unnecessary, and unlawful. PLAINTIFF made no aggressive movements, no furtive gestures, and no physical movements which would suggest to a reasonable sheriff’s deputy or police office that she had the will, or the ability to inflict substantial bodily harm against any individual.

Despite the aforementioned conduct, Defendant CITY and/or COUNTY ratified, acquiesced, or otherwise turned a blind eye to Defendant DOES’ misconduct, and allowed Defendant DOES’ to remain a police officer and/or sheriff’s deputy with Defendant City or County, which was a substantial and proximate cause of this incident and Plaintiff’s damages. Upon information and belief, Defendant DOES displayed and acted with racial animus against Plaintiff in retaliation for and/or to prevent them from exercising their rights to be free from excessive force and/or verbally protest police misconduct in violation of Plaintiff’s First Amendment rights.

Upon information and belief, Defendant DOES displayed and acted with racial animus against Plaintiff in retaliation for and/or to prevent them from exercising their rights to be free from excessive force and/or verbally protest police misconduct in violation of Plaintiff’s First Amendment rights. [MORE]