Sabrina Richards Claims She Was Arrested For Jaywalking While Black, Files Lawsuit Against City And The Officer | August 12
Coral Springs: A jaywalking citation and resisting-a-police-officer arrest that a judge tossed out on a Constitutional rights violation and officer credibility has turned into a federal “Walking While Black” lawsuit against the City of Coral Springs and that officer. The lawsuit by 25-ySabrina Richards claims Coral Springs police officer Daniel Powers profiled Richards, an African-American woman.
It claims she was unlawfully detained her for no reason; and used excessive force in doing so on March 11, 2016. Fort Lauderdale attorney Yechezkel “Chezky” Rodal filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 23.
The lawsuit claims the incident follows a pattern of unequal enforcement by Coral Springs cops as far as giving jaywalking citations.
The lawsuit says that between 2016 and 2018, 54 percent of all pedestrian violations citations in Coral Springs were given to African-Americans. For jaywalking specifically, the lawsuit says that numbers is 58.95 percent.
The incident started when Richards got off the bus near 2500 University Drive.
As the nearest crosswalk was approximately a quarter of a mile away, Sabrina looked both ways, made sure no traffic was coming and crossed the street, just like so many white people do every day.
A police officer spotted Richards crossing the street and approached her. He informed her that she was leaving a place of pedestrian safety and she replied “and?”
Powers police report says Richards refused to give him identification, then said she didn’t have it on her and wouldn’t give her name or birthdate. Eventually, Powers said he decided to handcuff Richards and Richards responded by repeatedly pulling her wrists out of his grip. He claimed Richards swung an elbow at his face.
Powers arrested Richards on a charge of resisting an officer without violence, a misdemeanor, and cited her for leaving a place of safety as a pedestrian.
The charges against Sabrina Richards were dropped by a judge and the lawsuit against the city is currently pending.
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