Case: 4:14-cv-01490-HEA Doc. #: 1 Filed: 08/28/14 Page: 1 of 28 PageID #: 1 RECE\VE.D. p.,UG 2 S 20\4 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION U s o\STRlCT C?i'!Rl . E: °s~!l8&r TRACEY WHITE, individually, and as the next best friend of W.D., a minor, and DWAYNE ANTON MATTHEWS, JR., and DAMON COLEMAN, and THEOPHILUS GREEN, and KERRY WHITE, Plaintiffs, v. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) THOMAS JACKSON, individually, and in ) his official capacity as City of Ferguson, ) Missouri Chief of Police ) and JON BELMAR, individually, and in his official capacity as St. Louis County, Missouri Chief of Police, and JUSTIN COSMA, individually, and in his official capacity as a City of Ferguson Police Officer, ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) No. JURY TRIAL DEMANDED Case: 4:14-cv-01490-HEA Doc. #: 1 Filed: 08/28/14 Page: 2 of 28 PageID #: 2 and 5 JOHN DOE, police officers of the City OfFerguso1i and St. Louis County Police Departments whose identities are unknown to Plaintiffs at this time, and ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI, and CITY OF FERGUSON, MISSOURI , Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) COMPLAINT (False Arrest; Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; Negligent Supervision; Assault and Battery; 42 U.S.C. § 1983) INTRODUCTION I. This is a civil action seeking damages against Thomas Jackson, who is the City of Ferguson Police Chief; Jon Belmar, who is the St. Louis County Chief of Police; Justin Cosma, who is a City of Ferguson Police Officer; the John Doe police officers of the City of Ferguson Police Department and/or the St. Louis County Police Department whose identities are unknown to Plaintiffs at this time; St. Louis County, Missouri; and the City of Ferguson, Missouri (collectively, "Defendants") for committing acts, under color of law, which deprived Plaintiffs of rights secured under the Constitution and laws of the United States and the state of Missouri; and, for refusing or failing to prevent such deprivations and denials to Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs allege, among other things, that Defendants intentionally, negligently and/or recklessly caused Plaintiffs to be subjected to unnecessary and unwarranted force, arrests that were not based upon probable cause, and other violations of their constitutional rights. This action seeks both 2 Case: 4:14-cv-01490-HEA Doc. #: 1 Filed: 08/28/14 Page: 3 of 28 PageID #: 3 compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants for the intentional acts of wrongdoing and negligence under state law. JURISDICTION 2. This action is brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988 and the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This Court has jurisdiction over this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 28 U.S.C. § 1343 and 28 U.S.C. § 133 l. Plaintiffs further invoke the supplemental jurisdiction of this Court to hear and decide claims arising under state law, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367. PARTIES 3. At all times relevant herein, Plaintiff Tracey White was a resident of the state of Missouri and a citizen of the United States. She is also the mother ofW.D., a minor. 4. At all times relevant herein, Plaintiff De Wayne Anton Matthews, Jr., was a resident of the state of Missouri and a citizen of the United States. 5. At all times relevant herein, Plaintiff Damon Coleman was a resident of the state of Missouri and a citizen of the United States. 6. At all times relevant herein, Plaintiff Theophilus Green was a resident of the state of Missouri and a citizen of the United States. 7. At all times relevant herein, Plaintiff Kerry White was a resident of the State of Missouri and a citizen of the United States. 8. C 1-h. of f:I 3 h:dnal S Covcrnm.:nl l'lillntlll (l '_S U.S. c;o,·crnmcnl 0 4 Qucstl\m Cftlll'J'l!llli'n/ DnNSl\y Dcfcmiar11 (fndiu11t· Ci11:c11.1h1p ofl'}Cf> Cititc'n o!' Anotl1cr Stntc _"] Citizen or Suhjcct of a Forci 'll Countrv 0 FORFEITL'RE/PENALTY PI<:HSO:"AL l~JtRY :1 .i/\5 l'L'r,onal !n_iury l'1oduct J,1ab1l11y _-, .>6! I kJITh Can: l'harnHKCL1l1cal l'c'r~onal Injury l'roJuct Lwbility II 625 Relaicd Sci/ur,, nfl'r11pc1ty 21 USC ,\Sl I ti90 (W1c1 ')..)() l '---15 J\lari11c f'ruJuct l.1ah1l11y -'~O!\lutor Vc'l11ck 355 :..totor \\'hick Product 1.iability 360 Oth~r l'crson5 Property Damage Product Liability CIVIL RIGHTS " -lAO 01hcr Civil Right~ :J 4--11 \ oung 0 ..\42 Employmcn1 0-M311,,u.>mg Ac:co1nm0Jal1c>1l> , -!-!< .-\nta W·Dt,abil1ILCS l·1111>lt1yna;nl l-!--1(,,.\1nc•r \ldlb.1b1lilLC'()!hc'l l -!4~ 2 :-1 --1 DEF n --1 0 6 0 6 Jncorporilh'd 11m/ l'r111c1pal 1'1,icc uf r~usincso ln 1\no1il~r State Fordgn Nation n L"J ll ::J Fduc".!ltDll LABOR 710 F«1r Labor StanJanJs Act 720 L1bor/J\.lanagcment Rchnions 740 Railway Lab,1r Acl 7~ I hunily and Medical L~'J\'C AL·t [ncQrnc Security Act Corpus: .:J 461 .'\!kn Dct;111wc !v1ot1,in~ to Vacatc Sentence 5.10 Cieneral 515 Lkalh Pcnc1li> Othl•r: ).1(1 .\lJ11dainu' & ( )lh<:'r ..'i.'iO l'i11I Right' 55~ i'ri'>nn Cundnion 5(,(l Civil lktaincc C-011J1tion' uf .1 5 ! 0 1 I I l J :1 --122 Appc~I 2~ 1 421 use 1ss W1thdr~wal ~s use 157 CIAL ."ECURITY ii S61 H1Atl~95tt) !..., U12 Black Lung (921) 1 X(J3 D!\VC/DJWW {405tg)) I n 864 SS!D Tttlc XVI ~b5 R'll (405\g}) 790 Othtr Labur Li1igatiun :J 7'/I Employee Retirement PRISONER PETITIONS llahca~ BANKRUPTCY ' PROi.oERTY RIGHTS ::J S20 Copyrights :J 830 p,ttent il ~40 Trademark ~--=~~====~--+--"'c':;'O'''c'"''c"~'11~':;ra0ct0ic~c'--~====~====,-i~ REAL PROPERTY _, 210 Land Condcmna11un 0 221l Forcck>surc 0 ~JO Rent Lease & l::'jcctmcnt 0 240 Turb to Lllld n 245 To1t Product Liability Dn1~ L1abLlllV ~JariTIL' I 1• ' lncnrpnrat<:J or f'1incipal Place .,( l-\w;incs:; In 1"111> S1,11c /ff) TORTS l'ERSO~AL l~.JL1R\ -, I ;1J ri.1Llkr 1\d ofrhi~ Dl'/~·11d11nl) PTF DEF ·x" in Onc Hor Onii') CONTRACT I Cai1cn .\'of a l'mn-} ""X" i11 One !Jox tor Pla111/i!f and One 801 /or FEDERAL TAX SUITS 0 870 Taxes (L'.S l'la1nnff or DctCndan!) CJ l\71 IRS--Third Party 26 USC 7609 OTHER STATUTF.S ,' , .1·75 False C\a1111-; Act 400 Stak Rcappo111c1nmcnt 410 i\n111mst 4.<0 Bank,; Jnd B~nkmg :J 450 Lun1111crn: 460 Deportation 0 --17fl Racket1111r In1luenccd and Corrupt Orgnn1zat1uns .ixo C-on.-t111Jc'r Credit --190 Cublc'Sat TV )(50 Scnu itic~/( un1motl1l1c>/ Exchange n 890 Orhcr Sraturory Act1nns 891 Agricultural Act~ R93 Env1ror11ncnrnl Ma1tc1s 895 hce2 .\bturah7.lT10n 1\ppl11.·;111011 :-i 4()5 Otiln l1rnrng1;1t1011 A~tiun:; l'u1itincrncnt \". ()Rf(;JN 1!'1u," (Ill )<( I Onl!.inal l'roC.,;cdi11g '"I !11< h'u\ (JnfrJ rz~,rno1,.,;d 11,1111 Stale ( ·oun Renwndctl frorn .-\ppcllatc l\.)urt ::J ~ rransl'errcd from Another District Rcrnslakd c11 Reopened CJ 6 Mult1district Lit1gmicrn f.1/JCCl/_1') Cill: the U .S Ci\·il _Statute under which you are filing (D111w1cit<'111n\'1/i{'tio11ul .11r11111t'.1· 11nfr.1.1· dfr1.•n1~1'1. 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 VI. CAUSE OF A C T I O N > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Brief description of cause. Violation of Plaintiffs Civil Rights by County, City and Police VIL REQUESTED IN :J CJIECK !F Tl/IS JS A CLASS ACTJO'.'l" UNDER RULE 23, F.R.Cv.P. COMPLAINT: VIII. RELATED CASE(S) tSet' 111,1/ru,·fion.1) IF ANY JUDGE DA Tl-. CHECK Yl:S ouly if tlcmanJcJ in complaint OE:\-lANI> $ 40,000,000.00 DOCKET NUMBl'.R SIGNATURI-: OF ATTORNEY OF RECORD 08/28/2014 FOR OFFICE tlSE Ol\L\ Rl·CFll'T i; .\ \10\.'t"·>i JURY DE!\IA!\"O: ILDCiE )!::l Yes CJ No I RECEIVED Case: 4:14-cv-01490-HEA Doc. #: 1-2 Filed: 08/28/14 Page: 1 of 1 PageID #: 30 P..UG 2 S; 2014 U.S. 0"51RIC~ ~iURl E. ~'f\ RIJI~ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI . -r(t\~w~\e,})e~ Av..+OV\ );1qlJuiw,_;:r0 y~(\ ~/ \hv>ph1)\.\5,Gv-eu./a-...cL \<..eµ '6 W°V\. ~ k . Plaintiff, ) l ) ) Y. • [\...a(YlC\J Sa..ck5on/Jofl ~rvv, JuS-h" GJS•'l"~J s-\-. ~\J ~~fv\d.1t-cr1 1 CA~ of %'.r-jVISOV\> ,M, 1$.Y.AJ.o\ Defendant, ) Case No. ) ) ) ) ) ORIGINAL FILING FORM THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND VERIFIED BY THE FILING PARTY WHEN INITIATING A NEW CASE. [ -i THIS SAME CAUSE, OR A SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT COMPLAINT, WAS PREVIOUSLY FILED IN THIS COURT AS CASE N U M B E R - - - - - - AND ASSIGNED TO THE HONORABLE J U D G E - - - - - - - - - r-1 [ __ j THIS CAUSE IS RELATED, BUT IS NOT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO ANY PREVIOUSLY FILED COMPLAINT. THE RELATED CASE NUMBER IS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AND THAT CASE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE HONORABLE _ _ _ _ _ _ __ THIS CASE MAY, THEREFORE, BE OPENED AS AN ORIGINAL PROCEEDING E NEITHER THIS SAME CAUSE, NOR A SUBSTANTIALL y EQUIVALENT COMPLAINT, HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY FILED IN THIS COURT, AND THEREFORE MAY BE OPENED AS AN ORIGINAL l'ROCUolllNl;. The undersigned affirms that the information provided above is true and correct. Date: ~o_,___[2?--+--}1--+--i_ ~-~ Signature ofFiling Party