A tragic incident involving a minor theft has escalated into a federal lawsuit alleging excessive force and wrongful death. Stanley Hungerford filed a complaint on June 5, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against Sheriff Tony Mancuso and several deputies from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office.
The case stems from an incident on July 18, 2023, when David Hungerford was confronted by deputies in Moss Bluff, Louisiana, over an alleged shoplifting offense involving a Dr. Pepper soda valued at less than $3. Instead of issuing a summons for the misdemeanor theft, which is standard procedure, the deputies attempted to arrest Hungerford. The situation quickly escalated as multiple deputies allegedly used excessive force to subdue him. According to the complaint, Hungerford was unarmed and appeared intoxicated but posed no immediate threat.
Stanley Hungerford claims that his son was subjected to unnecessary violence by being tased multiple times and physically assaulted by the deputies. Despite having supervisors on the scene who could have deescalated the situation—namely Lt. Melendy, Lt. Lavergne, and Cpt. Lafargue—no attempts were made to halt the aggressive actions of their subordinates. This failure to intervene allegedly contributed directly to David Hungerford's death.
The autopsy report cited "physical struggle with law enforcement" as a cause of death, further supporting Stanley Hungerford's allegations of excessive force. The plaintiff argues that this conduct violates both state laws and constitutional protections under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages for wrongful death and survival actions under state law, Stanley Hungerford is also pursuing punitive damages for what he describes as willful indifference to his son's federally protected rights. He is asking for reasonable attorney fees and court costs as part of his relief.
Representing Stanley Hungerford is attorney Mary K. Beaird from Leesville, Louisiana. The case has been assigned Case ID 2:24-cv-00760-JDC-TPL and will be presided over by Judge James D. Cain Jr.