In the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, plaintiff Timothy Watkins has filed a lawsuit against the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, Village of Burnham, City of Oak Forest, Village of Dolton and several individuals including John Daley #101/627, Nick Nomikos #78 among others. The case is registered under ID 1:24-cv-03555 and was filed on May 1st, 2024.
The lawsuit revolves around an incident that took place on March 2nd, 2016 when Vincent Means was shot and killed while driving near Will's Sports Bar in Burnham, Illinois. The defendants are accused of falsely implicating Watkins in the shooting despite the lack of physical evidence or eyewitness testimony.
Defendant officers from various municipal police departments are alleged to have knowingly and intentionally implicated Watkins in the crime by misrepresenting facts and ignoring exculpatory evidence. They reportedly arrested Nathan Parks, an individual who was with Watkins that evening, and questioned him about Watkins' involvement despite his repeated denials.
Watkins seeks monetary damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for the wrongful implication. He asserts that his federal claims fall under jurisdiction based on 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1343(a), while his state claims are based on supplemental jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1367(a).