A Chicago resident has filed a federal lawsuit against three police officers and the City of Chicago, alleging racial discrimination and excessive force during a traffic stop. Desmen Northington, through his attorney at the Law Office of Jordan Marsh LLC, lodged the complaint on November 6, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The defendants named in the suit are Chicago Police Officers Nicu Tohatan, Mario Fuentes, Joseph Vecchio, and the City of Chicago.
The incident that sparked this legal battle occurred on September 23, 2024. According to Northington's account, he was unlawfully stopped by police while parked in a standing zone on East Superior Street in Chicago. The officers allegedly escalated what should have been a minor parking infraction into an aggressive confrontation. Northington claims he was forcibly removed from his vehicle, handcuffed, and subjected to verbal abuse by multiple officers who mocked and threatened him. "You're going to jail," one officer reportedly said during the encounter.
Northington's lawsuit highlights systemic issues within the Chicago Police Department (CPD), particularly regarding racially discriminatory traffic stops. The complaint references data indicating that CPD disproportionately targets Black and Latino drivers for such stops under pretextual circumstances—ostensibly minor infractions used as excuses for more invasive investigations without probable cause. In this case, Northington asserts that his rights under both federal and state laws were violated when officers searched his car without consent or justification.
Northington demands compensatory and punitive damages from all defendants involved. He accuses them of unlawful detention, illegal search, excessive force, false arrest/wrongful imprisonment, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violation of civil rights policies promoting racial profiling. Furthermore, he requests indemnification from the City of Chicago for any judgments against its employees arising from these allegations.
Representing Northington is attorney Jordan Marsh from the Law Office of Jordan Marsh LLC.