A mother in Nevada has filed a lawsuit against four police officers, accusing them of applying excessive force and booking her for false charges. The mom, who has been identified by sources as Lynette Ford, chose not to name the police department or city in the lawsuit, but instead, chose to name four officers which include Michael Frady, Anthony Sotelo, Scott Johnson, and Justin Schneider. The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred back on February 20, 2018.
Officers Receive a Phone Call from Ford’s 13-Year-Old Son
On February 20, 2018, Ford’s teenage son called 911 in a panic alleging that his mother was “possessed by a demon.” Shortly after officers arrived at Ford’s home to conduct a welfare check on the woman, an incident broke out which ended with Ford being taken away in handcuffs. Here’s what happened.
According to Ford’s lawsuit, the mother arrived home from work and cooked dinner for her family. Her son did not eat as he was playing video games. After dinner, an argument between Ford and her husband broke out which resulted in him going to stay at a motel for the night.
Ford ended up going to bed while her son was still in his room although she awoke some time later to use the restroom. At that point, “her bright blue contact lenses she wears routinely slipped to the back of her eye.” The mother shouted for assistance and that is when her son allegedly came in the room and “saw his mom staring up at him with dark eyes.” In her lawsuit, Ford claimed her son was big on horror movies so the sight caused him to believe his mother was possessed.
Ford’s son responding by running out of the family’s apartment and calling 911. After Ford adjusted her contact lenses, she went outside looking for her son. Police arrived while all of this was happening and found the teenager outside shivering in his t-shirt. He told officers that his mother had been screaming at him from the floor and looked possessed. When Ford arrived back at her apartment, she spoke with officers for about 30 seconds and then was thrown into the wall which can be seen in the video footage the Reno Gazette Journal shared.
Officers alleged Ford became agitated and profane toward officers.
Ford is Arrested and Booked in Jail
Officers not only accused Ford of locking her son outside in cold weather, but also that she neglected to feed him for more than 12 hours and was intoxicated at the time of their arrival. The lawsuit claims officers had no evidence to validate these claims. While at the jail, Ford also had to sign a “no-contact order” with her son if she wanted to be eligible for bail and was forced to move out of her home for about two months as a result of signing the document.
A few months after Ford’s arrest, prosecutors dropped all charges that had been filed against her.
Did you have a bad encounter with a Las Vegas, NV police officer?
If an officer harmed you or mistreated you in any way, contact the Las Vegas, NV police brutality lawyers at Southwest Injury Law at 702-600-3200.