Hide Transcript Show Transcript

UNCONSTITUTIONALLY. DENI: THE LAWSUIT NAMES CHIEF STEVE CONRAD AS WELL AS THE COMMANDER OF LMPD’S NINTH MOBILE DIVISION AND FOUR OF ITS OFFICERS. THE PLAINTIFFS’ LAWYER SAYS THE COUPLE WAS PROFILED. >> THAT HUMILIATION, THAT EMBARRASSMENT, THAT VIOLATION OF THEIR RIGHTS AS AMERICANS, IT’ UNCALLED FOR. DENI: ATTORNEY JOSEPHINE BUCKNER SAYS HER CLIENTS ANTHONY PARKER SR. AND DEMETRIA FIRMAN WERE COMING HOME FROM CHURCH SERVICES ON AUGUST 12, 2018 WHEN THEY WERE STOPPED BY OFFICERS FROM LMPD’S NINTH MOBILE DIVISION AT 28TH AND BROADWAY. >> AT THAT POINT THERE WERE OFFICERS BEHIND THEM, AN OFFICER PULLED IN FRONT OF THEM AND THEY WONDERED WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS GOING ON. DENI: AN OFFICER TOLD PARKER HE WAS STOPPED FOR FAILING TO USE HIS TURN SIGNAL. BUT VIDEO SHOWS PARKER’S TURN SIGNAL WAS FLASHING WHEN HE TURNED. >> YEAH JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR TURN SIGNAL, ARE THERE ANY WEAPONS OR DRUGS IN THE CAR, NOTHING LIKE THAT I JUST LEFT CHURCH, GOT MY SON IN THE CAR WITH ME. DENI: THE VIDEO SHOWS OFFICERS ASKING PARKER, FIRMAN AND% PARKER’S THEN 9-YEAR-OLD SON TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. THE COUPLE IS PATTED DOWN AND OFFICERS CONDUCT AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH OF THE CAR, IT’S TRUNK AND FIRM’S PURSE. FIRMAN ASKS WH >> IS SOMETHING WRONG? >> THIS IS HOW WE GET CONDUCT ALL OUR STOPS. IT’S A TYPE OF UNIT THAT WORKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN A TRADITIONAL ONE. DENI: OFFICERS DIDN’T FIND ANYTHING AND ALLOWED THE COUPLE TO LEAVE WITHOUT A CITATIO >> ALL THAT MATTERED WAS THAT THERE WAS A BLACK MALE DRIVER. >> NO MATTER WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO SEARCH THAT VEHICLE. DENI: BUCKNER ARGUES LMPD ONLY STOPPED THE COUPLE AND SEARCHED THEIR CAR BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY WERE DRIVING. BUCKNER SAYS THE STOP SHOWS A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR BY LMPD. SHE ALSO REPRESENTS TAE-AHN LEE, WHOSE TRAFFIC STOP PROMPTED CITYWIDE BACKLASH THAT LED TO A CHANGE IN THE DEPARTMENT’S TRAFFIC STOP POLICY. >> EVERYBODY WANTS THE POLICE TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY AND KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFE BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE DONE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS. DENI: IN LOUISVILLE, DENI KAMPER, WLKY

Advertisement LMPD sued again after black couple leaving church gets stopped, searched over turn signal Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A lawsuit filed in district court last week alleges Louisville Metro police officers violated a couple's constitutional rights during a traffic stop in August 2018.Anthony Parker Sr., his fiancee, Demetria Firman and Parker's then-9-year-old son were driving home from church on Aug. 12, 2018 when they were pulled over by officers from LMPD's Ninth Mobile Division as they were turning onto Broadway from 28th Street.One officer told Parker he failed to use his turn signal, but body camera footage shows the car signaling left before and during the turn. Officers instructed Parker, Firman and Firman's son to get out of the car.Watch body camera video 1:One officer can be heard asking Parker, "Are there any weapons or drugs in the car?" Parker responded, "Nothing like that. I just left church, got my son in the car with me." Officers patted down the two adults before conducting an extensive search of the car, including the console, floor boards and a fast food box in the back seat. They also searched the trunk and Firman's purse. Watch body camera video 2:While standing outside the car, Firman asked one officer if something was wrong. The officer replied, "This is how we get conduct all our stops. It's a type of unit that works a little bit different than a traditional one." Officers did not find anything in the car and Parker and Firman were let go without a citation. In a lawsuit, attorney Josephine Buckner argues LMPD only stopped the couple and searched their car because of who they are and where they were driving. "All that mattered was that there was a black male driver," Buckner said. "No matter what, they're going to search that vehicle." The lawsuit names Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad, the commander for the Ninth Mobile and the four officers present for the stop. According to Buckner, the stop shows a pattern of behavior by LMPD. She also represents Tae-Ahn Lee, whose traffic stop prompted citywide backlash that led to a change in the department's traffic stop policy.Watch Tae-Ahn Lee's traffic stop:"That humiliation, that embarrassment, that violation of their rights as Americans. It's uncalled for," Buckner said. "Everybody wants the police to assist the community, and keep the community safe, but it does not have to be done at the expense of the rights of citizens." The department's new policy specifies that officers should not take further action during a traffic stop, such as removing someone from their vehicle, simply because a driver appears nervous or is in a high-crime area. All LMPD officers received training on the new policy, which went into effect Aug. 1. WLKY reached out to the department for comment but did not hear back.