VIDEO: Shreveport Casino Worker Files Suit Against State Police

A Shreveport black jack dealer has filed a federal lawsuit against Louisiana State Police. 58-year-old Anthony Monroe claims he was hurt during an encounter with State Troopers outside a Bossier City casino. NOLA.com reports this happened two years ago during a traffic stop. In the civil rights lawsuit, Monroe claims the troopers used excessive force during the incident.

In the paperwork filed in the federal courts, Monroe says the troopers attacked him without any provocation and forced him down onto the ground were he was put in a position where he could not breathe.

The lawsuit also claims Monroe suffered a heart attack while he was being taken to jail.

This incident has been recorded on the body cams worn by the trooper and by the dash cam. But some parts of the body cam recording cut out. But the dash cam footage captures the entire event.

So far, no charges have been filed against the troopers involved in this traffic stop.

What Are the Specifics in the Lawsuit Filed Against Louisiana State Police?

The lawsuit claims Monroe left his job at the El Dorado Casino in Shreveport early on the morning of November 29, 2019 and he was driving over I-20 into Bossier City to get food. State Trooper Richard Matthews apparently followed him onto the interstate and off the exit at Traffic Street at about 4am. In the suit, Monroe claims he was very concerned about police violence and he was worried about what could happen to him with no witnesses. He says he was afraid of "being another victim in the news". He says that is the reason he did not pull over right away.

He eventually pulled over near the front entrance to Boomtown Casino in Bossier City where Trooper Matthews ordered him to get out of his truck. Monroe claims he did not move because he was "terrified about what might happen to him".

Who Filed the Lawsuit on Behalf of Shreveport Casino Worker?

The ACLU of Louisiana filed the lawsuit on behalf of Monroe who was arrested for battery on a police officer, resisting with force and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. He is scheduled to go on trial in May.

Legal Director of the ACLU in Louisiana, Nora Ahmed tells NOLA.com “You have an officer effectively pulling someone’s hands towards his neck so that charges can be fabricated indicating this individual resisted arrest.”

The lawsuit also claims troopers kneeled on his back and legs and he could not breathe.

State Police have not been available to comment on this federal lawsuit.