Paris Police Sued Again In Arrest Of Child Riding A Bicycle –

PARIS, IL. (ECWd) –

The City of Paris and Paris Police Officers Matthew McConnell and Travis Vice were sued on August 1, 2020, in federal Court alleging civil rights violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of Richard Davis and his minor child.

Allegations from the Complaint:

• Based only upon his own personal animus, defendant McConnell decided to arrest S.D. for violation of Ordinance § 96.048, even though the city policy for enforcing ordinance violations is to simply issue a citation and even though the Ordinance as related to bicycle riding is not normally enforced at all
• At the time defendants McConnell and Vice entered the dwelling on Washington Street, they did not have a warrant, exigent circumstances, or consent
• After unlawfully entering the dwelling, defendant McConnell, acting out of anger and personal animus, used excessive and unreasonable force against S.D.
• When defendant McConnell used excessive and unreasonable force against S.D., defendant Vice was present and could have intervened to stop or prevent the use of excessive and unreasonable force, but he failed to intervene
• Acting out of anger and personal animus, defendant McConnell forcibly arrested S.D., threw him to the floor and forcibly handcuffed S.D. and took him to the Paris Police Station
• When defendant McConnell used excessive and unreasonable force against S.D. at the police station, other police officers whose identity is presently unknown to plaintiff stood by and failed to intervene to stop or prevent McConnell’s use of excessive and unreasonable force
• Defendant McConnell’s actions of effecting a custodial arrest of S.D. for a fine-only city ordinance and his use of excessive and unreasonable force against S.D., a minor, lacked a rational basis and instead were taken solely on the basis of defendant McConnell’s personal animus and malice against S.D., in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause

Plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount of damages.

Read the Complaint below or download it HERE: