$10M lawsuit claims MS police officer sexually assaulted woman during traffic stop
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A $10 million lawsuit was filed against an officer and the chief of the Senatobia Police Department claiming an officer violated a woman’s civil rights by arresting her without cause and sexually assaulting her in the woods.
The Senatobia Police Chief adamantly denies the allegations.
Carlos Moore Law Group, a civil rights law firm in Grenada, Mississippi, has filed a federal lawsuit against the police department on behalf of Shanterra Jackson. They are demanding $10 million in compensatory damages for allegedly violating Jackson’s civil rights during a traffic stop in August 2023.
“We believe that he should be prosecuted by the authorities for what he did sexual battery, rape, taking advantage of this young lady,” attorney Carlos Moore said.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday against the City of Senatobia, Chief of the Senatobia Police Department, Richard Chandler, and Senatobia Police Officer Willis McNeil.
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According to a press release from the law firm, the incident began when Jackson, a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a Sardis police officer, was “met with unwanted aggression.”
“It was a Sardis police, he got out with the gun to the window and I was like ‘Is he finna shoot us?’ Like, ‘Bae they finna shoot us,'” Jackson said.
In the lawsuit, Jackson claims the officer forced her and the other individual out of the vehicle without providing a valid reason for the traffic stop.
The lawsuit also alleges that Officer McNeil from the Senatobia Police Department arrived on the scene, detained Jackson, and took her to a wooded area where he turned off his body camera and sexually assaulted her.
“So he told me to get out of the car, I got out of the car,” Jackon said. “He told me to bend over the car and as he bent me over he took the cuffs off, he violated me.”
Carlos Moore Law Group says due to the event, “Jackson has endured significant mental, emotional, and physical trauma, underscoring the need for accountability and justice for the egregious actions of the Senatobia Police Department.”
“It took a while, like at first I was embarrassed,” Jackson said. “I felt like not talking about it. It took me a while mentally but I thought about it could happen to a child, like I have a daughter. It could happen to another woman, and God forbid it happen to anybody else. Nobody deserves that.”
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Moore released a statement on Thursday regarding the lawsuit.
“The conduct of Officer McNeil represents a gross abuse of power and a flagrant violation of Ms. Jackson’s civil rights. No individual should suffer such a traumatic experience at the hands of those entrusted to uphold the law. We demand accountability and transparency in this matter to prevent future injustices.”
Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler released the following statement regarding the allegations.
“Attorney Carlos Moore has filed a civil complaint that includes the City of Senatobia and Police Chief Richard Chandler as defendants. In the complaint, Attorney Moore makes allegations against Defendant Willis McNeil and says that McNeil was on duty for the Senatobia Police Department. Attorney Moore’s allegation is blatantly false. The City and Chief Richard Chandler look forward to responding to Attorney Moore’s allegations in more detail through the proper legal channels. There will be no further statements from the City or Chief Chandler on the pending litigation.”
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