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INVESTIGATIVE UNIT: After officer's arrest for sexual misconduct, BRPD, city face federal lawsuits
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BATON ROUGE — Two federal lawsuits were filed Monday in Baton Rouge against former BRPD officer Wade Hill, Police Chief Murphy Paul and the City of Baton Rouge.
In one of the lawsuits, the allegations stem from an domestic dispute BRPD investigated Jan. 8, 2022. Hill was one of the responding officers.
According to the lawsuit, Hill told the woman now suing him that she would not go to jail, then drove her around Baton Rouge and took her to a private residence. Later, Hill took the woman to another apartment complex and said that he would not take her to jail if she had sex with him, the lawsuit says.
"Out of fear of what would happen to her if she did not comply, she agreed to have sex with Officer Hill," the lawsuit says.
That woman spoke to the WBRZ Investigative Unit on Monday. She's the second woman to come forward in recent months.
"He abused his power," the woman said. "I was in a vulnerable state at the moment, and he knew my kids were important to me. He took advantage of it, and I hope he rots in hell."
The lawsuit alleges that the City of Baton Rouge did not properly examine and scrutinize Hill's background and claims a violation of her constitutional rights.
"If you say no, there's legitimate fear that something worse than being arrested will happen to you," Attorney Ron Haley said.
Haley is representing both women.
"At that moment you decide not to adhere to his advances, he has to know he's getting in trouble," Haley added.
A second lawsuit also filed in court Monday has similar allegations from a different woman.
She alleges that, on July 8, 2022, Hill responded to a call at an apartment complex and put a woman in handcuffs. Instead of driving her to a police precinct or to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, he drove her to his private residence. Hill removed the woman and put her in his personal vehicle and brought her to an apartment, she alleges.
The lawsuit states, "Once inside of the apartment, Officer Hill went to the back of the apartment. He later returned with his penis exposed and masturbated in front of her."
When he finished he drove her to a nail salon and offered her money to get her nails done.
As in the first lawsuit, the second one alleges the City of Baton Rouge is liable for damages for a violation of the woman's constitutional rights.
WBRZ is not identifying the women because they are alleging they're victims of sexual violence.
"We have to beg to ask the question, did you just do this to these two women or are there other victims of Wade Hill out there," Haley asked.
Last fall, Hill was charged with kidnapping, sexual battery, obscenity and malfeasance in office.
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