BATON ROUGE - The Town of Simmesport, the Simmesport Police Department, Simmesport PD Deputy Glenn Hill and an unidentified officer were named in an April 6 federal lawsuit alleging multiple civil rights violations.
According to a complaint filed in the Middle District of Louisiana, plaintiff Coleretha Chaney was at work on April 6, 2020 when she received a call from her children who were at home. The children had called to tell their mother that police officers had entered their home through the back door without knocking or warning.
When the children ran toward the door to see who was entering their home the officers, who included Deputy Hill and the unidentified defendant, allegedly drew guns on the children. After a brief encounter with the plaintiff's kids, Chaney says the officers left without making any attempt to contact the plaintiff or her husband.
Upon calling the Simmesport PD, Chaney says she was told that the officers believed the home to be abandoned and were looking for the previous tenant's grandchildren.
Chaney says her children now suffer from PTSD, fear of being left alone and fear of police officers.
The defendants are charged with violation of civil rights, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, malicious abuse of process, false arrest, false imprisonment and false prosecution and invasion of privacy.
Chaney is represented by the Johnson Law Group of Baton Rouge.