A gripping case has emerged from the Northern District of Illinois, where a citizen is taking on the City of Chicago and several police officers over alleged civil rights violations. Derrick D. Evans filed a complaint against the City of Chicago and multiple named and unnamed police officers on June 14, 2024.
The case revolves around a series of incidents that began on June 5, 2022, when officers arrived at the residence of Evans' wife, Fatimah Braswell-Bey. According to the complaint, officers saw a handgun in one of Braswell-Bey's vehicles and subsequently knocked on her door. Despite Braswell-Bey informing them that she was licensed to own the handgun and that Evans was not present in the house, the officers allegedly confiscated the firearm along with Evans' birth certificate and social security card without just cause.
The situation escalated when officers reportedly used excessive force against Braswell-Bey by pulling her arm upwards as they attempted to enter her vehicle. This encounter led to a false report stating that Evans had been arrested and prosecuted. The complaint further alleges that unknown officers tampered with surveillance cameras at Braswell-Bey’s residence in an attempt to gain unauthorized access.
On June 7, 2022, while driving with her children, Braswell-Bey was subjected to an unwarranted traffic stop by unknown officers hoping to find Evans behind the wheel. The harassment continued on June 15, 2022, when Evans was lawfully sitting inside another vehicle parked outside his wife's residence. Officers surrounded him, commanded him to exit the vehicle without just cause, handcuffed him, and transported him to a police station where he was charged with violating the law.
Evans’ ordeal culminated in a trial where he was found not guilty on October 31, 2023. Throughout this period, both Evans and his family suffered significant emotional distress and loss of liberty due to what they claim were malicious actions by the police officers involved.
In his lawsuit, Evans seeks various forms of relief including general damages for emotional distress, special damages, punitive damages against individual officers for their reckless conduct, and coverage for court costs. The complaint underscores multiple counts under U.S.C §1983 for unreasonable seizure of property, excessive force, false arrest/wrongful detention, malicious prosecution as well as state law claims for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment/arrest.
Representing himself in this high-stakes legal battle is Derrick D. Evans. The case is presided over by Judge Matthew F. Kennelly with Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes also involved in proceedings under Case ID: 1:24-cv-04944.