Foto: Tetra images RF
A Black man is suing the city of Troy and the police department after he said he was unlawfully arrested for honking his horn at an officer who failed to proceed at a green light, per Newsweek.
Earlier this month, Matthew N. Edwards filed a federal civil lawsuit against Troy Police Officer Taylor Gamache, the Troy Police Department, and the city, alleging unlawful arrest, excessive force, and malicious prosecution.
Video from the July 19, 2024 arrest shows police following Edwards home and detaining him after he tapped his horn.
According to the lawsuit, Edwards honked his horn after Gamache remained stationary at a green light. Edwards drove home and was moving his trash bins when he was confronted by Gamache, the lawsuit states. Body camera footage shows Edwards repeatedly denying wrongdoing and requesting a supervisor before being taken to the ground and arrested by multiple officers.
Edwards, a welder, said the arrest left him with injuries that required two surgeries on his dominant hand. He's been unable to work for the last year.
“All charges were eventually dismissed,” Edwards’ attorney, Arthur Frost, said in a statement. “This was retaliation, plain and simple.”
Edward's lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as reforms to police training and conduct. A case management hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2025.
Watch video of the arrest here.
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