Louisville Agrees to Pay $70,000 to Settle Lawsuit Over Wrongful Frisking of Marlo Brown

After nearly six years of fighting for justice, Marlo Brown, a Black man from Louisville, is finally receiving some closure. The city of Louisville has agreed to pay Brown $70,000 to settle a lawsuit stemming from an incident where he was wrongly frisked and threatened by police officers.

The incident, which occurred in December 2018, was captured on one of the officer’s body cameras. Brown was driving around the city with his children when he was stopped by police for a minor traffic violation. The officers, Stephen Roederer and Jessica Dickey, accused Brown of buying drugs and subjected him to a humiliating and unjustified search.

Despite finding nothing illegal, the officers continued to harass Brown in front of his children. The city’s decision to settle the lawsuit is a small victory for Brown, but the government has yet to publicly acknowledge any wrongdoing on the part of the officers.

This case is just one example of the systemic issues within the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). A recent investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that the LMPD has a pattern of violating the rights of Black residents, including the use of excessive force and unlawful discrimination.

Marlo Brown’s story is a reminder of the ongoing fight for justice and accountability in Louisville and across the country. As the city grapples with its troubled history of police misconduct, Brown’s settlement serves as a small step towards holding law enforcement accountable for their actions.