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Judge tosses ex-BRPD officer suit against Black Lives Matter protester
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BATON ROUGE - A case brought by a former Baton Rouge police officer against a Black Lives Matter protester at an Alton Sterling protest in 2016 has been dismissed by a federal judge.
Louisiana Middle District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson ruled Wednesday that the protestor, DeRay Mckesson, did not plan, orchestrate or run the protest and he did not cause former BRPD officer John Ford's injuries.
Ford claimed Mckesson was responsible for an injury that the officer suffered during the span of the demonstration on July 16, 2016. He also claimed Mckesson was directing the protest and is responsible, which is where the judge disagreed and said the suit fails under Louisiana law.
"I got hit with a piece of asphalt in the mouth," Ford said in January. "It broke some teeth, cut the inside of my mouth, cut my tongue, gave me a concussion, and it affected my eyesight."
However, Jackson sided with Mckesson due to a lack of evidence from Ford.
"There is no evidence that [Mckesson] 'was in charge of the protests' or that 'he was seen and heard giving orders throughout the day and night of the protests,'" Jackson wrote in his decision. "In practically every way, [Ford's] evidence has fallen short of his allegations."
The case previously went up to the U.S. Supreme Court in April, where they declined to hear it. Additionally, Black Lives Matter was initially included in the suit, but was removed twice after Jackson said 'Black Lives Matter' was a social movement and couldn't be sued.
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