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Constitutional Law

State troopers get booted, arrest the parking attendant and remove boot themselves, suit says

Two Louisiana state troopers who returned from an apparent meal break, found that their unmarked, unlawfully parked pickup truck had gotten the boot and demanded that a parking attendant remove it.

Then, when he refused to do so without getting paid the required $90 fee, they arrested the attendant, took his keys off his belt, illegally searched his truck and removed the boot from their Dodge Ram themselves, according to a federal civil rights suit and an attorney representing the attendant, Brandon Hardeway.

Filed earlier this month in New Orleans by Premier Parking Enforcement, the suit says the troopers claimed Hardeway was interfering with their official duties and cuffed him and put him in the back of a police vehicle, reports the Advocate.

He was released after several hours without being charged. The suit says a New Orleans police officer came to the scene but declined to jail Hardeway when he heard what had happened.

Attorney Isaac Soileau Jr. represents Hardeway and says most of the April 2014 incident was captured on a body camera the attendant was wearing.

Premier Parking Enforcement alleges in the suit that its contract with the lot owner was subsequently terminated: The owners, Soileau, told the Advocate, “were not happy having all these police cars and all of this excitement in their parking lot on a day when they were trying to conduct business.”

The newspaper contacted the state police for comment but got no response.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer’s Encounter with a Denver Boot Results in Criminal Mischief Charge”

Bangor Daily News: “Charge dropped against Millinocket lawyer”

Post and Courier: “Tow-truck driver gets 26 years in death over parking boot”