Bodycam footage shows police officer tackling and handcuffing a man getting off a county bus in Fort Lauderdale.
A man has filed a $200,000 lawsuit against the City of Fort Lauderdale and its Fugitive Unit, alleging brutal treatment and severe mental trauma after a false arrest.
The incident occurred on July 19, 2023, when Errol Leath , who suffers from epilepsy and can't drive, was traveling aboard a Broward County bus.
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WATCH HEREAccording to the lawsuit, filed in the Broward County Law on May 30, Leath was mistaken for a murder suspect identified as Daenon Malik King while the Fugitive Unit was conducting surveillance near NW 24th Street and State Road 7 in Lauderdale Lakes.
Despite Leath and King not looking alike, officers followed the bus and upon stopping it, the Fugitive Unit forcefully confronted Leath, executing a full-body tackle, slamming his head into the ground and handcuffing him, the lawsuit alleges.
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"The only similarities between Mr.Leath and the suspect are that they are both Black men with similar hair styles and height; that's where the similarities end," said attorney Brett Rogers, who represents Leath, in a statement sent to NBC6.
The lawsuit claims that the false arrest caused Leath severe physical and mental trauma, public humiliation and damage to his reputation.
Body camera footage from the officers, made public by Rogers, shows the encounter, capturing the moment Leath was mistaken for the murder suspect. Moments later, the Fugitive unit found Leath's Identification card and allegedly realized that this was not the murder suspect they were searching for.
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A few minutes after the encounter, Leath was uncuffed and it was explained to him that there was a mistake because he "looked identical" to the suspect they were looking for.
"This incident should never have occurred. Members of the Fugitive Unit made abundant mistakes in this poorly executed , reckless, and haphazard operation," Rogers said.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said they don't comment on pending litigation.
