Wrong turn: Metro council approves $236,000 settlement in wrongful arrest case

Ralph Ward will receive $236,000 after he filed a wrongful arrest lawsuit against Metro Nashville Police. The measure was approved Tuesday night by Metro Council.

But not without a legal fight: MNPD's response to Ward's lawsuit asked the court to deny financial relief.

Ward's attorney Kyle Mothershead told The Tennessean MNPD stripped Ward's individuality and dignity when they falsely arrested his client.

"While we are also proud to have pushed the envelope by obtaining for Mr. Ward one of the highest false arrest settlement that Nashville has ever agreed to, we recognize that the amount he is receiving is not nearly enough to provide true justice for what MNPD took from him that night. Thus, the work must continue," Mothershead said in a statement.

Nov. 14, 2019: What happened according to Ward's lawsuit?

When Ward finished working this evening at T-Mobile and Amazon, where he served as a delivery driver, he departed for R&B Liquors to buy a bottle of vodka before heading home, according to the lawsuit. He drove a red hybrid Lexus 300.

At some point, police followed Ward's vehicle to the liquor store's parking lot.

Metro Nashville FLEX officers watched Ward as he entered the business. Then they ran into the store, according to the lawsuit, weapons drawn, and ordered Ward to lay down on the ground. Officers accused him of being a suspect at a drug party and traveling with a suspect with outstanding homicide warrants.

Ward feared he was about to be killed. He complied with officers. In his lawsuit, Ward said officers handled him roughly, injuring his shoulder while cuffing his hands.

Ward repeatedly asked officers to review his smartphone and GPS unit to prove he had not traveled along I-65 North; officers refused, according to the lawsuit. Also, they did not believe he traveled alone, noting the second suspect could have fled from the vehicle.

Criminal charges were eventually dismissed.

How did it go wrong?

FLEX officers initially tracked a black Nissan before pivoting to Ward's red Lexus.

At 8:39 p.m., two men left a local hotel and entered a Nissan. FLEX officers tracked the vehicle onto I-65 North and activated overhead lights to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle continued as it exited I-65 North to Briley Parkway East. Officers lost sight of the vehicle as it gained speed.

Around 8:45 p.m., MNPD units operating with FLEX officers identified a different vehicle on Briley Parkway, according to Ward's lawsuit.

By 8:52, police pivoted to Ward's red car. An officer would radio police were seeking a black Nissan, not a red Lexus, according to the lawsuit.

Unmarked police cars did not activate overhead lights prior to following Ward's vehicle to the liquor store. Police say they activated the overhead lights.

Where are they now?

Officers Kevin Reynolds and Terrance Stuckey, who were named in the lawsuit, are stilled employed by Metro Nashville Police Department. Ward now lives in Texas.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Six-figure foul-up: A black Nissan. Red Lexus. Weapons drawn.