Ex-MPD director, City of Memphis facing new federal civil rights lawsuit over traffic stop

Two women have filed a lawsuit against the Memphis Police Department, its former director and a former officer, alleging that the women were detained by police because they are Black.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, alleges Alexis Brown, a former MPD officer, dislocated one of the women's shoulders and then proceeded to arrest them.

On Feb. 21, 2021, Kadeja Townes and Patrina Finley — both of whom are Black — went to a Red Box located outside a Walgreens on Knight Arnold Road to rent a movie.

While they were there, the lawsuit states, "three to four officers pulled up and rushed inside" of the Walgreens. The two women say in the lawsuit that they did not know why they were there.

Soon after, two male officers came out to Townes and Finley's vehicle and asked if they had heard gunshots, or knew of someone getting shot in the area. They both said they did not, the officers walked away, and the two women then drove off.

Shortly after, they were pulled over by a white female officer, identified in the lawsuit as Brown, and Brown's partner, who was not identified.

According to the lawsuit, Brown asked for Townes and Finley's IDs "because the plaintiffs were laughing."

"Plaintiff Townes began to explain to defendant Brown that she had already spoken to another officer and informed him that she had not heard any shots, nor was she aware of any prank calls," the lawsuit read. "Defendant Brown ignored plaintiff Townes and restated, 'Y'all over here laughing, I need to see your ID. As a matter of fact, get out of the car.'"

When Townes refused, Brown allegedly stuck her hand inside the vehicle to unlock the door and open it. Instead, Townes opened the door.

"Plaintiff Townes opened the door and exited the vehicle, all while stating her innocence," the lawsuit said. "Defendant Brown, intentionally, maliciously and with excessive force, snatched plaintiff Townes' right shoulder, resulting in her right shoulder dislocation."

The lawsuit goes on to say that Townes told Brown she needed medical help because her shoulder was dislocated, but "defendant Brown and two other officers assisted [Brown] to handcuff Townes."

Finley was then handcuffed by Brown, according to the lawsuit, and then placed in the back of a squad car. Finley was eventually released, but Townes was arrested and taken to Regional One for treatment.

"Plaintiff Townes was then transported to Jail East (the women's jail) by defendant Brown and Officer Pulliam, where she was denied entrance. Thereafter, the officers took her home," the lawsuit said.

At one point, though the lawsuit is not clear when this occurred, Finley was following the squad car and was stopped again by Brown. This time, Finley was taken to Jail East in police custody, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also alleges neither of the women were told why they had been stopped by police.

Also named as defendants in the lawsuit are the City of Memphis and former MPD Director Michael Rallings, who retired in April 2021 after working for three decades within MPD.

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The lawsuit requests $1 million in damages, $500,000 for each of the women, along with punitive damages, attorney's fees and an injunction that would direct "that defendants take all affirmative steps necessary to remedy the effects of the illegally discriminatory conduct alleged in this complaint."

The lawsuit also says the allegations in the complaint "amount to a pattern or practice" of discrimination by the defendants.

In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it was launching a pattern or practice investigation into MPD in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old who was pulled over and beaten by now-former MPD officers.

That investigation is looking into allegations of discriminatory policing, excessive force violations and illegal searches. Similar investigations into the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of George Floyd's killing and an investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department following the shooting death of Breonna Taylor found multiple civil rights violations.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis police, city facing civil rights lawsuit for 2021 detainment