'I’m going to frisk you b/c you look like you were going to break into cars and avoided looking at me' Black Man Stopped, Searched and Niggerized by a White KBPD Cop while Walking in Free Range Prison

Legal truths must give way to reality on the street. Cops so frequently abuse their power that no Black shopper, pedestrian, motorist, juvenile, adult or Black professional of any kind—could make a compelling argument that so-called constitutional rights afford any real protection from cops.

From [HERE] A Black man has filed a $10 million civil rights lawsuit against a suburban Detroit police department and an officer on the force after he was stopped and detained, then injured, while walking along a road earlier this month. The suit says “he was detained and arrested on the basis of his race. “

Brian Chaney, a 48-year-old Farmington Hills, Michigan, man, filed the suit on Monday against the Keego Harbor Police Department (KHPD) and Officer Richard Lindquist, alleging he was wrongfully detained while walking along the commercial street.

The suit says the “KHPD has adopted a custom policy, pattern and practice of racial discrimination against African Americans, other persons of color and the deprivation of the Constitutional and Statutorily protected Civil Rights of citizens in general.“

a 48-year-old black male, dropped his kids off for weight training at PHYX gym in the City of Keego Harbor. Plaintiff had followed this routine with his children 3- days a week for the prior two months.

To make good use of time, while his kids trained, Plaintiff would engage in exercise himself by walking along Orchard Lake Rd. to return to PHYX gym at the conclusion of his kids weight training sessions. According to the complaint:

Plaintiff was listening to a podcast through his headphones while he was walking. Plaintiff was walking Southbound on the Eastside of Orchard Lake Road. As Plaintiff was walking, he noticed Defendant Lindquist inside of his Police vehicle parked in a driveway facing Orchard Lake Road. Plaintiff walked for another block or so Southbound on Orchard Lake Road. Plaintiff then turned around and began walking back Northbound on Orchard Lake Road. At that time Lindquist had pulled out of the driveway and began to drive Southbound on Orchard Lake Road in the direction of Plaintiff. As Defendant Lindquist drove his vehicle toward Plaintiff, he suddenly alighted from his vehicle, began walking toward Plaintiff while shouting at him ordering Plaintiff to “get your hands out of your pockets”.

Officer Lindquist told Plaintiff to “stop moving” and further told Plaintiff, “I’m going to frisk you because you look like you have a weapon and were going to break into cars.” Lindquist also stated to Plaintiff “You avoided looking at me.”

Officer Lindquist asked Plaintiff “where do you live?” Plaintiff answered “Farmington Hills”, Lindquist then stated “Oh, so you walked your ass all the way out here, huh?”

Plaintiff told Lindquist that he walks in the area (3) three-times per week after he drops children off for their workouts at the PHYX gym which was a short distance down the street.

Officer Lindquist then told Plaintiff to turn around while simultaneously violently shoving Plaintiff in the back and violently pushing Plaintiff up against a nearby car, injuring Plaintiff’s groin and put handcuffs on Plaintiff tightly and jerking the handcuffs injuring Plaintiff’s wrist.

After Lindquist handcuffed Plaintiff, Plaintiff asked Lindquist what had Plaintiff done wrong to justify being detained, arrested, handcuffed and physically battered as there was no basis for Lindquist to stop, detain, arrest, handcuff, or put his hands on Plaintiff. Lindquist did not respond to Plaintiff’s question. Lindquist then asked Plaintiff for his driver’s license. Plaintiff stated that his driver’s license was in his car which was parked down the street. Lindquist then asked Plaintiff for the spelling of Plaintiff’s name. Plaintiff spelled his name and provided from memory his drivers license number to Lindquist.

Plaintiff constantly asked both Officer Lindquist and the other officers that arrived at the scene of the arrest what he was being arrested for and the Officers simply ignored Plaintiff. Plaintiff requested several times that officer Lindquist call his supervisor to the scene. Officer Lindquist ignored each of Plaintiff’s requests. When an officer, who identified himself as “Clement” arrived at the scene, Lindquist stated to Plaintiff that “Clement” was his supervisor. “Clement” later stated to Plaintiff that he was not Lindquist’s supervisor.

While Plaintiff was in KHPD’s custody, Officer Lindquist called Plaintiff a “Dog” and Plaintiff responded by telling Lindquist not to call him a dog, and that to do so, was offensive. Officer “Clement” then made the statement “I have a black Labrador dog but he’s actually smart.”

Plaintiff again asked for Lindquist’s supervisor. Lindquist continued to lie to Plaintiff stating to Plaintiff that “Clement” was his supervisor. Plaintiff repeatedly asked Lindquist why he was arrested and detained. Lindquist continued to ignore Plaintiff and did not answer Plaintiff’s question. Plaintiff repeatedly requested that he be released and no longer unlawfully detained/arrested. Lindquist and the other officers ignored Plaintiff’s requests.

Officer Lindquist began poking Plaintiff in the back to force Plaintiff to talk to him. Plaintiff refused to talk to Lindquist, stating that he will only speak with Lindquist’s supervisor. Plaintiff asked Lindquist, “What are you going to do next, put your knee into my neck?”

Officer Lindquist then took the hand cuffs off of Plaintiff and stated to Plaintiff without any apologies, “You can go”.

Plaintiff was detained by KHPD and Officer Lindquist for over 20 minutes.

Lindquist was aware that Plaintiff was a black male at the time he stopped, detained, handcuffed, arrested and battered him. Lindquist knew or should have known that he had no valid basis for stopping, detaining, handcuffing, arresting or battering Plaintiff.

As a result of the physical and psychological abuse Plaintiff suffered at the hands of the KHPD and Officer Lindquist, Plaintiff had to be taken to the Emergency Room at Beaumont Hospital.

Immediately after the arrest, Plaintiff began having migraines and vomiting episodes. Plaintiff immediately drove to his personal/family physician’s office. His family physician would not release him due to an extreme and dangerously elevated blood pressure reading. Plaintiff’s family physician called an ambulance by which Plaintiff was transported from his family physician’s office to the emergency room at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, where plaintiff stayed and was not released until the following day.

Chaney told reporters that Wednesday that bringing up the incident that led to Floyd’s death wasn’t something he wanted to do. “I hate that I had to say that, though. I went from being scared and upset at that point to just really angry. I’m cuffed like an animal for walking, drinking my coffee.”

The lawsuit says the defendants “Failed to train and or adequately train, supervise, and/or discipline officers and other employees and agents of Defendant KHPD, with regard to racial discrimination and racial harassment and the constitutional and statutorily protected Civil Rights of citizens.”