Photo Courtesy Of LVMPD/ HPD
A newly released surveillance video showed Nevada police wrongfully arresting Black man Shane Lee Brown on a warrant for a white man of the same first and last name; Shane Neal Brown.
According to footage obtained by 8 News Now, Lee Brown, now 25 years old, was arrested and jailed on a felony warrant for Neal Brown after telling officers they had the wrong person.
A lawsuit filed in federal court indicated that the 25-year-old reportedly spent six days in two separate Nevada-based jails for the wrongful arrest.
Police initially pulled Lee Brown over during a traffic stop on Jan. 8, and he provided his name, Social Security number, and Social Security card as he didn’t have his ID at the time. Authorities then performed a records check on his first and last name when Neal Brown appeared in the database. The now-51-year-old felon reportedly skipped court and had a warrant out for his arrest due to a charge of ownership or possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. As such, a judge ordered a no-bail arrest.
Video footage of the stop revealed that cops initially pulled Lee Brown over for not having headlights on. They asked him for his ID, and he responded saying that his license was suspended due to a traffic violation before handing over his Social Security information.
Shortly after, the officers ordered him to exit his vehicle and checked their records which was the start of their mishap.
“You got arrested for something with a weapon,” they told him in the video.
“No wrong guy,” the Nevada man replied.
However, police insisted that he was the wanted felon they had been searching for and proceeded to handcuff him. Still, he maintained that they were trying to detain the wrong person.
“It comes back totally matching you. Not much else we can do,” one of the officers said.
“I’ve never been arrested for weapons charges,” Lee Brown responded.
“As long as that warrant isn’t me, am I good to go? That felony warrant?” he asked while in handcuffs.
“Yes, but I’m almost 100–I don’t think–I’m pretty sure it’s going to be you,” the officer replied.
While behind bars at Clark County Jail, Judge Joe Hardy ordered Lee Brown’s release after a public defender said the Shane Brown that was arrested wasn’t the same age or had the same ID number as the one named in the warrant. As such, the Las Vegas Metro Police Department submitted information proving that the white Shane Brown was listed.
Lee Brown is now suing for $50,000 at the federal level and $50,000 at the state level, alleging false imprisonment, negligence, civil rights violations, and more against LVMPD.