Man who was acquitted of murder files suit against city, police

Jefferey Charles Morris, who was found not guilty of murder last year in the 2014 shooting death of Anthony “Tone” Carter, has filed a malicious prosecution lawsuit against Lexington Urban County Government, two police detectives and “unknown officers.”

The suit claims Lexington police detectives Reid Bowles, Chris Schoonover and other “unknown officers” “coerced false and fabricated witness statements” and falsely implicated Morris in the death of Carter.

The suit says “the defendants’ misconduct directly resulted in the unlawful prosecution and continued deprivation of the plaintiff’s liberty in violation of his constitutional rights.”

Lexington police spokeswoman Brenna Angel said Monday the department had no comment on the suit.

Carter, 47, was found shot to death in the 400 block of Chestnut Street shortly before 5:30 a.m. June 11, 2014. He had been shot once in the back and died at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital.

During the October 2015 trial, witness Deborah Hardin testified that Morris was in Louisville at the time of the shooting. But three other witnesses put Morris in Lexington at the time of the shooting.

The seven men and five women on the jury deliberated for about 4 1/2 hours before acquitting Morris.

The lawsuit says Morris “spent more than a year incarcerated for the crimes he did not commit. He must now make a life for himself without the benefit of over a year lost from his life.”

Morris, 33, who is representing himself, seeks a jury trial.

This story was originally published October 31, 2016 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Man who was acquitted of murder files suit against city, police."