Parking enforcement firm sues state police over allegations of abuse

An Orleans Parish company and its principals brought a lawsuit against the Louisiana State Police, Department of Public Safety and individual personnel for an alleged civil rights violation in 2014.

Boot Man Inc. (BMI), doing business as Premier Parking Enforcement; Benito Sanchez Jr. of St. Tammany Parish, and Brandon Hardeway of Jefferson Parish filed a claim against the Louisiana State Police; the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections; Sgt. Joseph Patout; Christopher Treadaway; Capt. Donovan Archote; Major Paul Edmonson, and Lt. Col. Mike Edmonson in U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana on April 3, alleging abuse in a 2013 matter.

Hardeway observed Patout and Treadaway on April 5, 2014, as they parked an unmarked vehicle with Mississippi plates in a restricted area of the parking lot he was employed to monitor, located on Prytania Street in New Orleans, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint states that after waiting the appropriate amount of time, Hardeway affixed a “boot” to the vehicle in the scope of his employment with BMI. When Patout and Treadaway returned, the plaintiff advised them that he was not authorized to remove the boot until they paid the $90 fee.

According to court documents, the men arrested and handcuffed Hardeway, seized his keys and removed the boot themselves; held him for several hours and then released him. Archeson and Major Edmonson arrived on the scene; the suit states that the defendants’ presence annoyed the parking lot owners, who allegedly terminated their agreement with BMI due to the disruption.

Sanchez and Hardeway contend abuse, assault, battery, wrongful arrest, detention, seizure and abuse of power. The plaintiffs claim that the defendants failed to properly control and train their employees, who are alleged to have engaged in misconduct with deliberate indifference to the plaintiffs’ rights.

Citing pain, suffering, medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, dignitary affront and other damages, the plaintiffs seek actual, general, special and compensatory damages in the amount of $500,000, plus attorney’s fees, expenses and costs.

They are represented by Isaac H. Soileau Jr. and Ryan Jurkovic of Soileau and Associates, New Orleans.

U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana, case no. 2:15-cv-01064-JCZ-MBN.