Macomb prosecutors dismissed from wrongful arrest lawsuit filed by Rev. Rideout

Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

The Macomb County prosecutor and three assistant prosecutors have been dismissed from a federal lawsuit filed by the Rev. W.J. Rideout in which he says his First Amendment rights were violated and he was wrongfully arrested during a rally in Shelby Township in July 2020.

The lawsuit in U.S. District Court still is pending against Shelby Township, its police department and Chief Robert Shelide, among others. It was filed in July.

Azzam Elder, an attorney representing Rideout, said Monday that he voluntarily dismissed the case against Prosecutor Peter Lucido and others in Lucido's office after he was able "to verify that Lucido's office was not involved in approving the false charges against Rev. Rideout."

More:Rev. Rideout says First Amendment rights were violated in new lawsuit

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Elder said he plans to focus on the township portion of the case and Shelide, who in July 2020 received a 30-day suspension after posting tweets the lawsuit says supported police brutality and racist ideals.

Rev WJ Rideout preaches during the drive-in Easter services held at All God's People church Sunday, April 12, 2020 in Roseville.
Rev WJ Rideout preaches during the drive-in Easter services held at All God's People church Sunday, April 12, 2020 in Roseville.

Lucido was not prosecutor when Rideout was arrested. Lucido won election as prosecutor in November 2020.

Rideout was arrested on a warrant on July 22, 2020, after Shelby Township police said he disobeyed their commands by walking into the street during a protest two days earlier. A judge dismissed the misdemeanor charge against him in April 2022, according to records in 41-A District Court in Shelby Township.

Rideout said he was arrested on a "bogus" charge because he called for the resignation of Shelide, not because he committed a crime.

Rob Huth, Shelby Township attorney, previously said that Rideout was "asked to leave the street 22 times by one officer and two more times by another. Eventually he was issued a citation."

Rideout's lawyers said that other protesters who went into the street that day or committed acts of violence were not arrested and that it was "selective enforcement." Elder previously said they named Lucido because the prosecutor could have dropped the charges at any time.

Staff writer Emma Stein contributed to this report.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Macomb prosecutors dropped from wrongful arrest lawsuit by Rev. Rideout