LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that an Arkansas State Police trooper violated a woman’s civil rights during a War Memorial Stadium event earlier this year.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, alleges that Sergeant Dakotah Bailey unlawfully seized the phone of De’Jarnette Johnson and prevented her from recording a police arrest during the Benton-Bryant football game at War Memorial Stadium.
According to the lawsuit, Johnson began recording as officers arrested a young man who was forcibly placed against a chain link fence and reportedly said, “I can’t breathe.” The filing states that Bailey instructed Johnson to “keep it moving,” while others who had stopped to watch the arrest were not ordered to move. Johnson was reportedly the only individual recording the incident.
The ACLU claims that the trooper’s actions violated Johnson’s First, Fourth, and 14th Amendment rights.
“My intention was simply to ensure transparency in the events occurring around me. This case transcends my individual rights — it touches upon our entire community’s ability to monitor and hold accountable those in positions of authority,” Johnson said in a statement released by the ACLU. “I could never have anticipated that my effort to document a moment of truth would result in such an aggressive confrontation.”
ACLU Arkansas Executive Director Holly Dickson described the incident as an example of excessive police overreach. “This incident at the Salt Bowl is a glaring example of police overreach and underscores the urgent need for policy reforms,” Dickson said. “We stand with Ms. Johnson and the community in demanding justice and upholding the right to freely observe and record police activities.”
An Arkansas State Police spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing the agency’s policy not to discuss ongoing litigation.
