Micah Washington, a Black man from Alabama, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the city of Reform and two officers, Dana Elmore and her husband, Jody Elmore, over a 2023 incident in which he was tased while handcuffed. Washington, who was 24 at the time, was changing a flat tire when Officer Dana Elmore approached him and demanded his identification. When he refused, asserting his legal rights, she tased him, handcuffed him, and tased him again while he screamed in pain. Elmore then asked, “Do you want it again?”
Attorney Leroy Maxell Jr., representing Washington and two others present during the incident, stated the lawsuit addresses “excessive force, deliberate indifference, malicious prosecution, and wrongful detainment and arrest.” Washington’s friend Jacorien Henry and his 17-year-old brother, Shakeem, are also plaintiffs. The encounter took place near Washington’s aunt’s house, where he and his friends had been retrieving tools to fix the tire. When Washington began recording the incident on his phone, Elmore used a stun gun on him, forcing him to the ground.
After handcuffing him, she ordered him to stand, tased him again, and told him to “shut the fck up” and “shut your btch ass up” as he cried out. Washington was initially charged with multiple offenses, including fentanyl trafficking, obstructing government operations, resisting arrest, and first-degree marijuana possession. The fentanyl charge was later dropped after it was determined the substance found on him was not fentanyl.
Maxwell stated, “We fully expect the remaining charges against Mr. Washington to be dismissed as well.’’ The attorneys also allege that the marijuana charge resulted from officers planting the substance on Washington.
Maxwell emphasized the racial implications of the incident, stating, “They must be held accountable for the irreparable physical, mental and emotional injuries they caused.” He further asserted, “My clients are clear victims of police misconduct, racial bias, and systemic racism. They were targeted for simply existing as African American men.”
Officer Elmore was placed on paid administrative leave following the incident. Her current employment status remains unclear, but Washington’s legal team argues this case reflects deeper systemic issues in American policing.
Link: News One
Comments