Getting annoyed with police who had already searched and failed to find a theft suspect on his property led an innocent 68-year-old man to be cuffed and shoved in the back of a police car in March 2021, where he had a heart attack and later died at a hospital. The officers did attempt some basic CPR when they found him without an apparent pulse slumped over in the back of their car where they'd stored him.
Two sons of William Walls are suing the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana (and two specific deputies) under 42 U.S. Code §1983, which holds government agencies and agents liable for "the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution." That wrongful death lawsuit was shifted from state to federal court this week. An officer involved, Deputy Ryan Chapman, is also facing criminal charges for his role in Walls' death.
