A Chicago police officer has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was wrongfully arrested last year in Tempe, Arizona.
Jalen Woods, who is Black, claims Tempe police officers racially profiled him and suggested his job was in danger, with one of the officers saying: “You understand we have discretion here right? You get placed under arrest and you’re going to lose your f—— job dude,” according to the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Arizona.
Woods was driving a Dodge Charger rental with a friend in downtown Tempe around 11:45 p.m. Aug. 23 when two cops on bicycles started pursuing him as he turned onto a street backed up with traffic due to a red light ahead, the lawsuit states.
While stopped at the light, one of the officers shined a light into Woods’ car and asked for his identification, the lawsuit states. Woods allegedly provided his driver’s license and Chicago Police Department ID.
The cops allegedly told Woods that he was stopped and would be cited for “chirping his tires,” but another officer later allegedly told him he was pulled over for revving his engine.
The lawsuit claims the incident was racially motivated, stating the bicycle cops pulled them over after “observing two young African-American men in a sporty car listening to rap music.”
Several other drivers who were not Black allegedly revved their engines and squealed their tires while Woods was handcuffed and sitting on a curb for around 40 minutes as the up to nine officers on scene discussed whether to take him to jail, the lawsuit alleges.
Woods, “a Black man, was targeted, stopped, arrested, and prosecuted under circumstances where similarly situated white individuals would not have been subjected to the same treatment,” the lawsuit states.
Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy, the City of Tempe and seven Tempe police officers are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
In a statement, a Tempe city spokesperson said the lawsuit “completely mischaracterizes the events of that night,” saying Woods was arrested for “exhibition of speed,” which was part of the Tempe Police Department’s “widely publicized campaign to reduce reckless driving and street racing, an initiative that has significantly decreased dangerous driving in our community.
“The allegation that Jalen Woods was targeted because of his race is categorically false,” the Tempe statement continued. “Tempe Police officers enforce the law equally, without regard to race or background. Woods’ arrest was reviewed by our department’s accountability processes, which confirmed our officers acted lawfully and appropriately.”
Woods was jailed overnight and his rental car was impounded, according to the lawsuit. Tempe officers allegedly claimed those measures were required under “policy” and state law because Woods is from out of state.
Woods also claims he was denied medical attention while jailed despite reporting difficulty breathing and lightheadedness. He suffered a bacterial infection and “physical illness” during the one night in jail, according to the lawsuit.
The charges against Woods were later dismissed by prosecutors, the lawsuit says.
According to the lawsuit, the incident caused “emotional distress and reputational harm” for Woods. “This was the first time in his life being arrested and placed in handcuffs, and the arrest required him to be placed on administrative leave with his employer, causing additional humiliation and damages,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also claims three of the Tempe officers retaliated against Woods by filing a complaint to the Chicago Police Department after Woods spoke to the media about his arrest, allegedly without the police department’s permission.
An internal Chicago police investigation resulted in no discipline for Woods.