The man who was slammed to the ground by a former Juneau police officer this summer is suing the City and Borough of Juneau and the officer in civil superior court.
Christopher Williams, Jr. filed a lawsuit last week against the city and former Juneau Police officer Brandon LeBlanc for allegedly violating his civil rights during the arrest. The violent arrest knocked Williams unconscious. He was later medevaced out of town.
The lawsuit comes just over a month after the state’s Office of Special Prosecutions cleared the officer of criminal charges. Video of the July incident recorded by a witness circulated widely online and prompted a public outcry.
Jeff Barber is an attorney representing Williams. In an interview, Barber said the lawsuit seeks to hold the city and LeBlanc accountable.
“It’s dehumanizing to see the way Mr. Williams was treated in this case by police, and so I think more people should be aware of these kinds of actions,” he said. “It represents an assault on human dignity when you see someone act like that.”
The lawsuit asserts several allegations of wrongdoing by both LeBlanc and the city. It claims that LeBlanc acted with “intentional malice” when arresting Williams, and that his actions led Williams to suffer severe and permanent physical injury. It says LeBlanc intentionally failed to render aid to Williams after he was injured.
The lawsuit also claims the city is liable for hiring LeBlanc and failing to reasonably train and supervise the officer, who waspreviously suedby a man for excessive force and battery while he served in Louisiana. The jury in that lawsuit found LeBlanc not guilty.
After Williams’ arrest in July, Leblanc was placed on paid administrative leave. He later resigned from his position just a day before JPD released the body-worn camera footage of the arrest. In his statements to the Office of Special Prosecutions, he denied any wrongdoing and said he acted out of fear for his own safety during the incident.
Juneau Police Chief Derek Bos defended the department’s hiring of LeBlanc during a presentation to the Juneau Assembly in late September, saying LeBlanc is “a good officer who made a very bad mistake.”
Barber, William’s attorney, disagrees.
“Yes, we’re seeking money damages from the entities that are responsible — all the way from the top on down,” he said. “So if it looks like the City and Borough of Juneau shouldn’t have hired this guy in the first place, we’re going to hold them accountable for that.”
The lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages Williams seeks.
Juneau’s City Attorney Emily Wright said on Tuesday afternoon that the city had yet to be served with the complaint and could not comment.
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