Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Iowa City In ‘Walking While Black’ Case
IOWA CITY — A man arrested by Iowa City police in a case condemned by a federal judge as “walking while Black” has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the city, Johnson County, the arresting officers, and an assistant county attorney involved in the arrest.
“I am seeking some peace of mind, as well as justice,” said Chris Kelly, the plaintiff in the complaint. “My mind can’t get over what happened, how they came after me just because they felt like it. “They didn’t care about the law, didn’t care about my rights. They were so sure they would just get away with it. And they almost did.”
Kelly’s civil rights complaint and Aug. 20, 2020, ruling on a motion to suppress written by federal Judge Stephanie Rose of the Southern District of Iowa lays out the allegations in the case.
Records state that on Dec. 26, 2019, Assistant Johnson County Attorney Jude Pannell was shopping near the Waterfront Hy-Vee, 1720 Waterfront Dr., when he called Iowa City police officer Travis Neeld — who was nearby on an unrelated call — about suspicious behavior.
