Family of Devin Carter, Brutalized by Stockton Police, File a Federal Lawsuit

A federal lawsuit against the City of Stockton, California and four Stockton police officers who allegedly beat a Black teen during a motor vehicle stop was filed Friday according to NBC News.

Devin Carter suffered bruises to his eyes and scratches elsewhere on his body following a Dec. 30 incident that resulted in the firing of two officers, Michael Stiles and Omar Villapudua.

The family is represented by John Burris, the attorney who represented Rodney King in his civil suit against the Los Angeles Police Department for brutality. 

In a press release issued by Burris, the family claimed Carter was allegedly stopped for speeding and “without any provocation or cause, [Stiles and Villapudua] pulled the young black man from his car and viciously beat him.” They are suing for “abuse of force.”

The statement went on to say that two more officers approached the scene and began “repeatedly punching and kicking Devin about his face and back while calling him profane names and using threats of criminal prosecutions for crimes he had not committed.”  

The lawsuit argued that Carter was driving to his father’s house when the officers began following him. Initially, he had not been aware he had been involved in what the suit called a “pursuit intervention” where one car causes the other to swerve in order to stop.

Carter eventually came to a stop, placed his hands at a visible distance above the steering wheel and waited for direction at which time he was pulled from the car and beaten, the suit claims.

Stockton police disputed claims in the lawsuit and contended that Carter was “driving erratically and speeding in excess of 100 MPH.”

Police also accused the teen of leading them on a three-minute-long chase without headlights, according to the NBC News report.

At a January news conference, Devin Carter’s father, George Carter, said, “I would have never in my life known or thought that my son would have been pulled over, pulled out of a vehicle, and brutally beaten.”

His mother Jessica Carter said, “There are no words to articulate the terror that we’re experiencing for our son.”

That same day, Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones also made a statement via Facebook.

“I am deeply concerned about this incident and that is why we immediately launched an internal investigation. Our department will continue to focus on our own accountability and professionalism.  All four involved officers have been placed on administrative leave.” 

 

 

Jones’ statement was amended last week to “several” officers being reprimanded for their involvement in this incident and Stiles and Villapudua being fired for behavior that was “well outside the scope of both our policy and training.”