Kansas City police officer ‘violently’ threw man to ground in wrongful arrest, lawsuit says
A man has filed a lawsuit against the Kansas City Police Department alleging he was “violently” thrown to the ground during a wrongful arrest last year.
Murray Anderson, Jr., 47, claims Officer Jose Romero Jr. placed a knee on his neck after he was handcuffed and taken to the ground following a nearby assault. Anderson, though, did not match a description of the assailant, according to the lawsuit.
The assault Romero and other officers responded to occurred on the afternoon of May 24, 2020, outside reStart Inc., a shelter for the homeless community at 918 E. 9th St., according to the lawsuit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court in May.
Officers found a victim who said he was assaulted by a Black man in a red shirt and brown pants, the suit claims. Witnesses told police the suspect had dreadlocks, was light skinned and short.
Anderson — described as a tall, dark-skinned Black man who was bald — was seen walking west toward 10th Street. At the time, he was wearing a bright orange shirt and olive-green cargo pants, his attorneys said.
With a hand on his gun holster, Romero approached Anderson and told him he fit the description of an assailant, according to the lawsuit. Anderson said he was not said attacker but complied, his lawyers said.
Romero then allegedly threw Anderson to the ground in the area of Charlotte and East 10th streets and an unnamed officer who arrived kicked him in the back, according to the lawsuit. Both told Anderson he was being arrested for “something,” the suit alleges.
Anderson kept “repeating he was not resisting and was not the person they were looking for,” his attorneys with the firm McShane & Brady wrote.
Another officer, Melanie Bartch, who had been talking with the victim, then arrived and said that person did not want to pursue charges, according to the lawsuit. Anderson was released.
Video shows Bartch tell Romero that Anderson did not match the victim’s description, the suit contends.
Sgt. Jake Becchina, a police spokesman, said Thursday that the police department does not generally comment on pending litigation “to ensure fairness for all sides.”
In a statement, one of Anderson’s lawyers, Lucy McShane, said it “is an honor” to represent him in the matter. McShane declined to comment further.
Anderson’s attorneys argue in the suit that the officers had no reason to detain Anderson, saying the only description he fit was that he is an African-American man. They called the officers’ conduct “outrageous.”
The lawsuit makes claims of negligence and false imprisonment against four department members and claims of assault and battery against Romero. It also accuses the department of negligent hiring, training and supervision.
Anderson is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $25,000.
