Federal Appeals Court Rules Police Officers Who Arrested Black Pastor Can Be Sued

 

A federal appeals court has ruled that the police officers who arrested a Black pastor in Alabama, while he was watering his neighbor's flowers, can be sued. The decision overturns a lower court's ruling that had dismissed the pastor's lawsuit, citing qualified immunity for the officers.

The incident occurred in May 2022 when Pastor Michael Jennings was watering his friend's garden while they were out of town. A white neighbor called the police to report him, leading to Jennings' arrest in Childersburg, Alabama. Despite repeatedly telling officers that he was a pastor and lived across the street, Jennings was arrested for refusing to provide a physical ID.

A three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously found that the officers lacked probable cause to arrest Jennings, making them ineligible for qualified immunity. Qualified immunity protects officers from civil lawsuits if they do not violate clearly established law or constitutional rights.

Body camera footage revealed that officers decided to arrest Jennings within minutes of their arrival. His legal team, led by attorney Harry Daniels, argued that the video shows the arrest was made without probable cause. Daniels called the ruling a "win for justice" and emphasized that the case would now go to court.

Initially, a district judge had dismissed Jennings' case, citing Alabama law, which allows officers to request a person’s name and explanation if they reasonably suspect them of a crime. However, the law does not permit officers to demand physical identification, a key point in the appeals court decision.

Jennings had been charged with obstructing government operations, but those charges were quickly dropped at the request of the police chief. The pastor later filed a lawsuit, claiming that his constitutional rights were violated and that he suffered emotional distress from the ordeal.

Daniels noted that this ruling could have broader implications for other civil rights cases involving unlawful arrests in Alabama.