The family of a man paralyzed during a traffic stop is suing Prince George’s County and the arresting officer for $75 million, claiming there’s a pattern of racist and heavy-handed policing.

Gathered outside a county office building in Largo Monday morning, the family of Demonte Ward-Blake and their attorney, Billy Murphy, announced a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Prince George’s County government and Police Corporal Bryant Strong.

The Prince George’s County police officer already faces criminal assault and misconduct in office charges related to his arrest of Ward-Blake during a traffic stop in October 2019. A video of the arrest shows the officer viciously slamming a handcuffed Ward-Blake on the ground. Continue Reading