Lawsuit: Kentucky police officer used cruiser to hit unarmed man fleeing on foot
A Kentucky police officer deliberately used his cruiser to run over a man who was on foot during a chase, the man has alleged in a federal lawsuit.
The hit broke the man’s leg and caused other injuries, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit accuses the officer of using excessive, unreasonable force and the city of Radcliff and police supervisors of not adequately training and supervising officers.
Radcliff Police Chief Jeffrey Cross and city attorney Michael Pike said they could not comment on the complaint.
The incident happened last September after a Radcliff officer, Robert Stephens, answered a call from an employee of the Gold Vault Inn who said Anthony Gray would not leave the motel when asked.
When Stephens got there, Gray was walking out of the motel parking lot. There was no apparent justification for police intervention except to make sure he kept going, the lawsuit says.
Despite that, Stephens got out of his cruiser and approached Gray and they talked briefly. Suddenly and without justification, Stephens reached for Gray’s arm and Gray turned and ran, according to the complaint.
Body camera footage shows that Gray did not threaten the officer before he fled. As he ran, Gray yelled to Stephens that he did not have a weapon.
One of Gray’s attorneys, Aaron Bentley, released portions of video recorded on officers’ body cameras.
Gray had committed at most a minor offense and had not verbally or physically threatened Stephens or anyone else, so there was no reason to believe he posed a danger to anyone, the lawsuit argues.
As Stephens chased Gray, another officer, Justin Skaggs, joined the pursuit in his Ford police vehicle.
Skaggs caught up with Gray as he ran alongside Globe Street, then intentionally turned the steering wheel toward the man on foot, hitting Gray and running over his lower left leg, according to the complaint.
“Skaggs’ misconduct was captured on his body camera, and shows indisputably his intentional use of a lethal weapon — his police vehicle — to arrest Gray’s flight,” the lawsuit says.
Using a police vehicle in that way is called a precision intervention technique. It is supposed to be used only to stop another vehicle, not a person, and then only in cases serious enough to justify the potential risk to the occupants of the fleeing vehicle, Gray’s lawsuit argues.
Stephens heard Gray’s leg “crunch” under Skaggs’ car and heard Gray scream in pain, the lawsuit says.
The contact broke a bone in Gray’s lower left leg and caused other injuries to his leg, foot and hand.
The police department “allegedly” investigated the incident, but supervisors did not discipline any officers or provide additional training, the lawsuit says.
Cross and other police supervisors said Skaggs and Stephens didn’t do anything wrong, the lawsuit says.
Police charged Gray, 30, with trespassing, fleeing and alcohol intoxication in a public place. The charges are pending.
Previous connection between Gray, officer
In an earlier case in April 2021, Stephens said in a citation that as he was taking Gray to jail after an arrest, Gray threatened to head butt him when they got to the facility.
Gray was charged in that case with speeding, disorderly conduct, carrying a concealed weapon, driving while impaired and terroristic threatening.
The speeding and weapon charges were dismissed. Gray pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, impaired driving and terroristic threatening and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended, according to the court record.
Bentley, who represents Gray with Gregory A. Belzley, said he had not seen any documentary evidence that the earlier interaction between Gray and Stephens played a role in the incident at issue in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.
