Ralph W. Briscoe has filed a lawsuit against the City of Crystal Lake Police Department and Officer Ryan Shack, alleging violations of his constitutional rights during a traffic stop. The complaint was filed on December 27, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The case revolves around an incident that occurred on December 28, 2022, when Ralph Briscoe was stopped by Officer Ryan Shack while driving through Crystal Lake, Illinois. According to Briscoe's account, Shack initiated the stop due to a non-functioning license plate light. During the interaction, Briscoe provided his driver's license and insurance information along with his Illinois Retired Officer’s Concealed Carry License (IROCC Card). The situation escalated when Shack claimed that Briscoe's Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card was expired, despite Briscoe asserting that its expiration had been extended due to COVID-19 measures.
Briscoe contends that Shack's actions were unwarranted and unlawful. He alleges that Shack unreasonably detained him without probable cause and unlawfully seized his firearm. Furthermore, Briscoe accuses Shack of obtaining an arrest warrant under false pretenses by providing misleading information to the judge regarding the validity of his FOID card and IROCC card. The charges against Briscoe were later dropped after it was revealed they had not been properly screened by the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Briscoe is seeking several forms of relief from the court. He requests a declaratory judgment stating that his constitutional rights were violated under both federal and state law. Additionally, he seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress caused by the incident, as well as punitive damages for what he describes as intentional misconduct by Officer Shack. Finally, he requests coverage for attorney fees and other legal expenses incurred during this process.
The legal team representing Ralph W. Briscoe includes himself as counsel from Law Office of Ralph W. Briscoe Ltd., with Rosa D. McNeil serving as co-counsel. The case is being overseen in part by Judge assigned to Case ID: 3:24-cv-50527.