LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) – A Little Rock man has filed a lawsuit against the City of Little Rock after he claims the Little Rock Police Department falsified a no-knock affidavit to raid his home for drugs.
The case is now getting national attention after an opinion article was published by The Washington Post over the weekend. And the hiring of two prominent civil rights attorneys – Benjamin Crump and Michael Laux to oversee his case.
Crump has served as legal counsel on several high-profile cases including Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. Laux is known for high-profile cases in the central Arkansas area including the shooting death of 15-year-old Bobby Moore.
Roderick Talley’s lawsuit stems from an incident where a no-knock warrant was executed at his home in August of 2017. According to court documents, the search and seize warrant was issued because, “there is now being concealed a certain evidence to wit: Cocaine, and as there exist, a search and seizure warrant should be issued.”
Following the raid, the affidavit claims police found a green leafy substance, working digital scales, plastic baggies, and paperwork.
Crump and Laux said the grounds for the lawsuit are that Little Rock detectives lied to get the no-knock warrant and that the Little Rock Police Department violated Talley’s Fourth Amendment rights.
The Fourth Amendment states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Little Rock City Attorney Tom Carpenter released a statement to THV11 that said, “The City of Little Rock does not comment on any questions related to pending litigation. The policies of the Little Rock Police Department are in full compliance with both Arkansas state law and federal civil rights law.”
The city sent an additional statement that said, “It is not appropriate for the City to litigate cases in the news media. That said, it should be recognized that the City does not agree with all of the factual statements in a recent article in the Washington Post about illegal drug investigations by the LRPD. In addition, the manner in which LRPD carries out some of its search warrants complies with state and federal law. The City looks forward to the total truth on other issues being developed during the litigation.”
The case is set for a Jury Trial in February of 2019.