Huntsville, Alabama — A mechanic, wrongly arrested while repairing a customer’s vehicle in a church parking lot in 2019, has won a federal lawsuit against the Huntsville Police Department. The jury announced on Wednesday that the mechanic, Roland Edger, will receive $77,000 in damages, which includes $75,000 for pain and suffering along with $2,000 awarded for punitive damages.
Edger’s arrest occurred after he declined to present identification to two police officers while he was fixing a car. Civil rights attorney Hank Sherrod represented Edger and shared details of the compensation awarded for the distress and harm caused by the arrest. U.S. District Court Judge Liles Burke ruled that Officers Krista McCabe and Cameron Perillat falsely arrested Edger and deemed the city accountable as their employer.
The incident leading to the lawsuit took place in June 2019 when Edger was called to repair a red Toyota Camry, which had broken down at the Progressive Union Missionary Baptist Church parking lot, where his customer’s wife worked. He initially assessed the car and returned later that day with his stepson to conduct repairs.
A misunderstanding ensued when a church security guard, observing two Hispanic males fidgeting with a vehicle, alerted the authorities. Upon arrival, McCabe and Perillat confronted Edger. Despite Edger’s attempts to clarify the situation, the interaction escalated, culminating in his arrest, as shown in a 40-minute bodycam video publicly released by a federal appeals court.
In court, it emerged that the officers had breached two critical legal standards. First, Alabama law requires that officers have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity to detain a person, which McCabe did not have. Additionally, even if the initial stop was lawful, Alabama’s statutes do not support the officers’ demand for physical identification during non-traffic encounters.
The official response from Huntsville Police Department acknowledged the court’s decision and stated their intention to adapt training practices to better align with legal expectations and the ruling.
This legal victory underscores ongoing debates around law enforcement procedures and civil rights in routine police interactions. The City of Huntsville originally charged Edger with obstructing governmental operations for failing to provide identification; however, this charge was later dismissed. The case, which saw initial rulings granting qualified immunity to the officers, was overturned on appeal, leading to a reassessment and the recent verdict in Edger’s favor.
The Huntsville Police Department expressed respect for the judicial outcome and committed to implementing enhanced training measures reflecting the court’s directives.
The resolution of this case comes after years of legal struggle for Edger, who expressed relief at achieving justice and voiced hope for improvements in police practices moving forward.
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