FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 26, 2024
LAWSUIT HOLDS POLICE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ATTACKING BLACK FAMILY OVER MISMATCHED SUSPECT DESCRIPTION
CROWN POINT, IN – The Muhammad Law Center and EZINNÉ LAW PLLC filed a federal civil rights lawsuit today holding police accountable for an attack on an African American family.
“The police officers claimed they had a description of a 5’7″ Black man who was an alleged suspect for ac rime and used this as a pretext to attack an entire Black family from a toddler, the young adults, and the elderly. An entire black family was traumatized. ” said attorney Hakeem Muhammad. “Our client Airius Reed stands 6’2″ tall – that’s seven inches taller than their supposed suspect. But the police saw his skin color and that was enough. When police are willing to throw a disabled 65-year-old Black man to the ground and terrorize children hiding from their weapons, it reveals the real target was never an actual criminal. The target was a Black family’s dignity, their safety, their right to exist in their own home without fear. When skin color is the only matching factor, every other detail becomes irrelevant in the eyes of law enforcement. A Black man seven inches too tall to be their suspect becomes ‘close enough.’ A disabled grandfather becomes a threat. Children become acceptable collateral damage. Today’s America tells us that for police, no suspect description is too wrong when the skin color matches.”
Co-Counsel Ezinne Adibe added,”This case further exposes a disturbing and persistent truth about policing in America. That all too often, the constitutional rights that should be afforded to all are afforded to some; that all too often, if you’re a Black person in America, you are immediately viewed as a suspect or a threat. Here, children were involved. This is a sad reminder that trauma can be multi-generational. The children were traumatized as well. That is important to mention. We are seeking justice for this family for what they experienced, and we want better policing practices.”
Despite the obvious physical mismatch, officers proceeded to terrorize his entire family, demonstrating how a single racial descriptor became license for indiscriminate violence against every Black person in the home, regardless of age or disability.
The lawsuit seeks substantial compensation and systemic reforms to prevent police from using vague suspect descriptions as pretexts for targeting entire Black families.
About Muhammad Law Center:
The Muhammad Law Center represents a new generation of civil rights advocacy, prioritizing transformative justice over headlines. Founded by Hakeem Muhammad, the center focuses on dismantling systemic racism through strategic litigation that puts Black people first. The center has established itself as a principled voice for Black America.
About Ezinné Law:
Ezinné Law is dedicated to improving the lives of its clients, one case at a time. Founded by Ezinné Adibe Ranger, her practice utilizes an impact lawyering approach to bring about restorative justice that will have far-reaching impact.
The complaint can be read here.