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A Black woman in Texas is suing after she said she was wrongfully arrested on a non-existent warrant, per the Houston Chronicle.
According to a lawsuit, Lenisha Janea Parker, a Harris County court clerk, was arrested in January 2023 by Deputy Kenneth "Daniel" Price while she was on her lunch break at a Chipotle restaurant. Price, dressed in plainclothes, failed to specify the reason for the arrest and placed Parker in an unmarked vehicle before driving to her home, per the lawsuit.
Upon arrival at the home, Parker allegedly claimed he was searching for her ex-husband, who was wanted for ATM theft. Officers retrieved Parker's key and searched the home without a warrant or proper consent.
Parker was then brought to the Harris County Jail and told she was wanted in Fort Worth for burglary, even though no such warrant existed. Parker's case wasn't entered into the county system, making it impossible for a bondsman to locate her and post bail. Parker remained in custody from Friday to Sunday without charge or contact with her children.
The lawsuit describes the incident as a "kidnapping" that left Parker with severe trauma.
“She had to go see a psychiatrist. She was just absolutely paralyzed by the whole situation," her attorney, U.A. Lewis, said.
The lawsuit also notes a broader pattern of unlawful arrests in Harris County. According to the suit, roughly 5 percent of the Sheriff's Office’s 1,800 annual arrests are unlawful, with more than 83 percent of such arrests targeting Black or Hispanic individuals. The suit accuses the office of fostering “a culture of silence, concealment and toleration” and failing to discipline deputies who engage in false arrests.
Price’s defense argued that he “believed valid warrants existed” and was performing his duties in pursuing a wanted individual.
The lawsuit names Price, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, and Magistrate Judge Lisa Gail Porter, who approved the $5,000 bond despite the absence of any documented warrant, as defendants.
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