(Memphis) An activist organization has filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis, Memphis mayor, and police director, citing a number of cases of police brutality and deaths in custody.
Most notably, they were triggered to file the suit after a police squad car with no lights or sirens crashed into a car on August 26, killing a woman, Deloris Epps, and a teenaged girl, Mackala Ross.
The officer driving that car is currently on paid leave, as the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigates the accident.
Minister Kennith Van Buren and Direct Action Inc. are the plaintiffs in the case.
Van Buren said the Epps family did not wish to comment on this case, since they are not involved. They have an attorney as well and have not yet filed a lawsuit.
Van Buren’s handwritten lawsuit in federal court reads:
“It is believed by this plaintiff that the present police director Mr. Toney Armstrong has continued to violate the civil rights of the citizens of Memphis by continuing a ‘deadly force’ policy that brutally violates the civil rights of those same said citizens. Also Mayor A.C. Wharton in being the present sitting mayor condones these actions and very well plays a very large significant part in these brutal actions by failing to exert a more peaceful means of communication between the police department, city government and the entire citizenry of the Memphis municipality.”
He told News Channel 3 he would like the police department to begin implementing weekly drug tests on all officers.
In the lawsuit, he also asks for an “award amount of $250,000,000 to continue to fight the injustices of the city government and the Memphis Police Department.”
Van Buren explained, “The money is really not the issue. It’s the principal of the matter, basically to send a message to the Memphis Police Department to say we want your attention.”
“We feel it is unfair to this family that have to mourn the loss of two family members and then, this officer is allowed to sit at home and get paid when he’s killed two people,” he said.
Van Buren also has a petition circulating with about 450 signatures now, calling for the police officer in the crash to be prosecuted.
The message seems to resonate with some people.
“That officer should be held for vehicular manslaughter,” said Kenneth Nunally, who signed the petition.
Van Buren also cited other cases of police brutality and deaths in custody that led to his lawsuit.
Such cases also prompted a protest over the weekend, including members of Direct Action.
For example, Brenda Davis joined the protest because she’s still seeking answers in her son’s death. Witnesses said police beat her son when he was arrested.
“I don’t know how it went from a drug sale to my son hemorrhaging from the head, and internal bleeding,” Davis said.
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s office said that there would be no comment on pending litigation.
Police Director Toney Armstrong did not respond to request for comment.