NEW ORLEANS -- A man is suing officers after allegedly being unconstitutionally stopped, searched and seized by police.
Cedric Otkins Jr. filed a federal complaint on June 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Sergeant Jack Gilboy, officers Barrett Pearse, William Roth, Joshua Deroche, and John Does 1-10 for unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment, unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment, intentional of emotional distress and negligence.
According to the complaint, on July 1, 2020, Otkins alleges that he was targeted, stopped, and unreasonably detained in a public park for a frivolous or non-existent cause. Otkins alleges that the officers performed an unlawful search of his vehicle, which ultimately resulted in jail time and criminal charges. Otkins alleges that because of the incident, he experiences emotional and psychological harm that has resulted in nightmares, anxiety and sleeplessness.
Otkins seeks a judgment in his favor for general and equitable relief. Otkins is represented by Marcus B. Hunter of Kuchler, Polk and Weiner, LLC.
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:21-cv-01275-WBV-JVM