After spending nearly 28 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, a Missouri man is seeking justice. Lamar Johnson, 50, has filed a lawsuit against the St. Louis police, alleging that they “detained, arrested, and framed him for a murder he did not commit.”
In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Johnson is seeking unspecified damages from the city of St. Louis and eight police officers involved in his case. Johnson’s lawyers stated that he wants answers and accountability for the years he lost behind bars.
“I am grateful to be free and I’m doing my best to make up for all the time that was stolen from me and my family, especially my daughters. I want to put this dark and painful chapter behind me, but there can be no healing without answers and accountability,” Johnson expressed.
Emma Freudenberger, Johnson’s attorney, emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, “Even after the Court declared his innocence, there have been no apologies and no consequences. The City of St. Louis cannot continue to simply ignore the glaring police misconduct that has caused Mr. Johnson and his family so much harm.”
The lawsuit comes after a long legal battle. Marcus Boyd was fatally shot in October 1994 on his front porch by two masked men. Johnson was accused and convicted of the crime, but he consistently maintained his innocence. In 2022, then-Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner filed a motion seeking Johnson’s release after an investigation conducted by her office and the Innocence Project revealed evidence supporting his innocence. Another man testified that he, not Johnson, was involved in the killing.
During the hearing, a witness to the crime testified that he was coerced by the police into identifying Johnson as one of the shooters. Additionally, Johnson’s girlfriend at the time testified that they were together that night, except for a short span of about five minutes, which was not enough time for Johnson to have committed the crime.
St. Louis Circuit Judge David Mason ruled in February that Johnson’s conviction was wrongful, leading to his release from prison.
The lawsuit highlights the impact of the wrongful conviction on Johnson’s life. It states, “Johnson was a young father who was working and attending college when Defendants detained, arrested, and framed him for a murder he did not commit.”
It is essential to seek justice for cases like Johnson’s, where innocent individuals had their lives unjustly stolen from them. The lawsuit serves as a powerful reminder that there must be accountability for police misconduct and wrongful convictions.
Source link: F5mag.com