A family in Illinois has filed a federal lawsuit alleging their civil rights were violated during a wrongful raid by law enforcement. Tristian Coleman, on behalf of his family, lodged the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on January 10, 2025, against the U.S. Marshal Service and other parties.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on February 22, 2024, when Coleman claims that officers from the U.S. Marshal Service unlawfully entered his apartment without a warrant while searching for a suspect named Joseph Jackson. Despite having no connection to Jackson and not being listed as tenants under that name, Coleman alleges that the officers used excessive force, including pointing an assault rifle at him while he was naked and handcuffed outside his home. The complaint further states that the landlord provided keys to law enforcement without verifying tenant information.
Coleman argues that this incident constitutes a violation of several constitutional rights protected under the Fourth Amendment and various U.S. laws including 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for deprivation of rights and § 1985a(3) for interference with civil rights. The suit also references violations under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and established Supreme Court law under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages for physical and emotional harm, Coleman is pursuing punitive damages against each defendant involved in what he describes as an "illegal raid." He highlights past trauma exacerbated by this event and ongoing distress within his family due to privacy invasion and public embarrassment.
Representing Coleman is attorney Jacqueline D. Gibson, Esq., LL.M., while Judge Charles P. Kocoras will preside over the case with Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling assisting. The case ID is 1:25-cv-00296.