Parish: Caddo
Police Department: Louisiana State Police
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana represents Mr. Anthony Monroe in a civil rights action against state troopers from the Louisiana State Police for the illegal arrest and use of excessive force against him. Mr. Monroe was another unarmed, nonthreatening Black man who was just trying to make it home after work before being violently brutalized by those meant to protect and serve.
On the early morning of November 29, 2019, Mr. Monroe was on his way home from a long night of work when he noticed a Louisiana state trooper following him in his car. The trooper, Richard Matthews, pulled Mr. Monroe over for no reason and told him to exit his vehicle. Mr. Monroe complied with Matthews’ orders and exited his vehicle, despite the trooper offering no justification for why he had to do so. He was terrified for his life, and rightfully so. Matthews immediately grabbed Mr. Monroe’s wrists and manipulated them to look like Mr. Monroe was resisting arrest. He then drew his gun at Mr. Monroe. Two other Louisiana state troopers, including Terry Conner, arrived, and the troopers moved to arrest Mr. Monroe. Without any provocation, Troopers Matthews, Conner, and a John Doe trooper violently slammed Mr. Monroe to the ground and pinned him to the ground face down, kneeling on his back and legs with their full body weight. Mr. Monroe could not breathe as the troopers began to violently beat him and twist his arms behind him. The troopers ignored Mr. Monroe’s screams and cries, and one trooper told Mr. Monroe that his arrest had to be done “the hard way.” After the violent beating, Mr. Monroe was transported to jail, where he was denied proper medical treatment despite having suffered a heart attack in the police car ride on the way there.
Mr. Monroe submitted public records requests to the Louisiana State Police seeking documents related to his brutalization. Louisiana State Police failed to produce any relevant documents, yet another cover-up in the long line of systemic police abuses.
The lawsuit asserts violations of Mr. Monroe’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights by the troopers’ use of excessive force. The suit also asserts claims against Superintendent Lamar Davis and Doe Officers of Louisiana State Police for their failure to appropriately supervise, investigate and decertify the officers who beat Mr. Monroe, as well as violations of the Louisiana Public Records Law and various state laws.
Mr. Monroe seeks to hold the defendants accountable for their Constitutional violations and violent misconduct that perpetuates a broken system.
The defendants in the case are:
- Terry Conner, Trooper of the Louisiana State Police
- Richard Matthews, Trooper of the Louisiana State Police
- Superintendent Lamar Davis of the Louisiana State Police
- Doe Officers 1-10 of the Louisiana State Police
- Lt. Colonel Chavez Cammon, in his official capacity as Records Custodian for the Louisiana State Police
Global law firm Latham & Watkins LLP serves as co-counsel with the ACLU.