Black Man Sues Police After He Was Arrested For Asking Questions

A Black man in Phoenix, William Kitchen, is suing the Phoenix Police Department after officers arrested him simply for asking questions about why he was stopped. The federal lawsuit is supported by recorded evidence, showing an officer ordered his arrest to “teach him a lesson.”

According to ABC 15 Arizona, the incident occurred on February 6, 2024, when officers were conducting an operation in west Phoenix. They were surveilling a man at a bus stop when Kitchen ran across the street, allegedly obstructing traffic. Officers responded by handcuffing and searching him, treating the situation as if he had committed a far more serious crime.

The situation escalated after Kitchen was released, and he began questioning Sgt. Meelhuysen about the legal justification for his stop.

KITCHEN: "What was the ARS code that you said I violated?"

MEELHUYSEN: "Arizona Revised Statute 13-2906A."

KITCHEN: "Arizona Revised Statute 13-0926?"

MEELHUYSEN: "Close enough."

KITCHEN: "What was it? I want to have my attorney look at it. I have Legal Shield… I just want to let them look at the statute. What was the statute?"

MEELHUYSEN: "I just told you."

KITCHEN: "Do you have your name and badge number? Can I have it please?"

MEELHUYSEN: "Renee [another officer], Renee. Put him back in cuffs. We’re booking him. He’s getting booked for obstructing a thoroughfare."

KITCHEN: "For saying I’m going to have my attorney look at it?"

MEELHUYSEN: "No. Just to show you it’s a legitimate code. Seems like you’re incredulous about the code, sir. You’ll get educated when you have your initial appearance with the judge."

KITCHEN: "It’s freedom of speech. I’m allowed to ask what I’m…"

MEELHUYSEN: "Yes. Freedom of speech. You’re right."

Kitchen spent the night in jail, taking months to get the charges dismissed. “That was just something that didn’t need to happen,” he said.

His attorney, Josh Carden, called the arrest unconstitutional. “He literally just asked questions, a core First Amendment activity, and got thrown in handcuffs for it. [Officers] were just trying to teach him a lesson.”

The lawsuit also highlights racially charged remarks from officers. According to the complaint, officers referred to another Black man at the stop as “James Brown” and made comments captured on bodycam. One officer called a man “homeboy,” while another said someone looked like “DJ Jazzy Jeff.”

“That’s not policing,” Carden stated. “That’s poor behavior in my opinion.”

Additionally, the lawsuit argues that officers fabricated the justification for Kitchen’s stop. Their report claimed a southbound vehicle had to “abruptly slow down to avoid a collision with Kitchen” and that another car honked “to attempt to get Kitchen out of the roadway.” However, the lawsuit states that these vehicles were actually driven by the officers themselves.

“I think it’s to hide the fact that they have no real reasonable grounds for putting my client in handcuffs and taking him to jail,” Carden said. “They’ve got to come up with something.”

Despite clear bodycam footage, Kitchen’s lawsuit faces an uphill battle. His experience reflects a pattern of abuse many Black civilians endure, highlighting the need for accountability.

Link: News One