SHREVEPORT - Cody James filed a federal complaint on October 5 in the Western District of Louisiana against the City of Minden, Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper and Minden Police Officer Seth Young for false arrest, unjustified and excessive use of force and physical brutality and false imprisonment.
According to the complaint, on Oct. 4, 2020, James and his wife Amber James had a verbal disagreement in their bedroom at home when they heard knocks on the bedroom door. James opened the door and saw two police officers standing outside the door. Officer Young stated that they had received a call saying James was choking and punching his wife.
James said he would never put his hands on his wife, the suit says. Officer Young said that was a lie because she had a busted lip, and Officer Young would not listen to the fact that Mrs. James has a medical condition that caused the mark on her lip, the suit says.
Young then told the other officer that he was going to arrest James and when questioned why James was being arrested, Young replied that it was because James had hit his wife, the suit says. James' stepfather spoke to Young and asked what the issue was, and Young allegedly replied that him and James had had “issues in the past.”
James was taken to Webster Parish Detention Center and was charged with domestic battery, which was later dropped by prosecution, the suit says.
James seeks compensatory and special damages, attorney's fees and cost of suit. James is represented by Christopher Hatch.
U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana case number 5:21-cv-03484-SMH-KDM