UPDATE (September 1st):
Kadron Locklin has filed a lawsuit against the City of East Ridge, Officer Samuel Rositacher and Officer Andrew Carter for this incident (scroll down to read the details in our earlier updates).
The lawsuit claims that Locklin's civil rights were violated by unreasonable seizure by excessive force, lack of probable cause, deprivation of due process or malicious prosecution, and conspiracy to violate civil rights.
Other counts in the lawsuit include assault, civil conspiracy, and malicious prosecution.
The lawsuit asks for compensatory damages of $250,000 and punitive damages of $500,000.
Read the full lawsuit below:
Depend on us to keep you posted as this lawsuit moves through the courts.
UPDATE (June 7th):
A judge on Tuesday officially dropped the charges against Kadron Locklin.
EARLIER:
A man who faced aggravated assault charges stemming from a clash with an off duty police officer will no longer face charges, according to East Ridge Police.
According to East Ridge Police Chief Stan Allen, an East Ridge police officer will receive remedial training and a one day suspension.
And the man facing charges will see them dismissed just days after body camera video revealed a heated exchange between a responding East Ridge police officer and the man.
In an exclusive interview Thursday, we heard from the man in the bodycam video.
22-year-old Kadron Locklin, his attorney, and his mother shared more about what they say happened in the moments just before the responding officer turned on his body camera.
Kadron Locklin says he was dropping off a developmentally challenged client at an East Ridge home for Orange Grove when a family dog got loose.
Locklin says he helped the family chase the dog up the street onto off duty officer Andrew Carter's property.
That's when Locklin says he and Carter exchanged words, and Carter told him to get off his property.
"He said if you stepped foot on my property, I got some for you. Then I said I got something for you, too," said Locklin.
Locklin admits he had a gun in the car, but says he was just reacting to Carter who was armed at the time. He tells us he made empty threats and never expected the situation to escalate past this point.
According to Locklin, he brought the dog to the family's home and was inside the house when he was told to come meet officers outside.
Body camera video shows that multiple officers responded to the scene and one responding officer threatened to use a stun gun on Carter.
"When I saw the video, I had two hours of weeping and shaking. I mean it, it viscerally impacted me," said Kadron Locklin's mother Shan Alexander.
"The language, the pulling of a taser, for an individual that is complying is just overkill... KD initially was, of course, shaken. But after I actually saw the video, he was comforting me," said Locklin's mother Shan Alexander.
The family says East Ridge Police Officers were overly aggressive. And failed to de-escalate the situation, even though Locklin was not resisting arrest.
"In the video, you see a 22 year old actually speaking softly, and speaking to the officer who is cursing him and screaming at him. He's the one de-escalating the situation, instead of the police officer," said Alexander.
Alexander says she wonders whether race factored into the aggressive response. She says her son has not had any prior trouble with law enforcement.
"There's a good reason black folks feel scared of the police. This is stuff that happens," said Alexander.
Attorney Chris Dixon also points to the fact that both men involved allegedly made threats, but only his client faced aggravated assault charges.
He also highlights a portion of the body camera video where responding officer Sam Roistacher asks Carter what charges he believes fit the situation.
"If you watch the video, he's already made the decision. He's arresting him," said Dixon regarding officer Sam Roistacher.
Body camera video also shows Officer Roistacher asking Carter about the alleged threats he made towards Locklin.
Carter denied making any threats towards Locklin, and Officer Roistacher continued to interview witnesses.
Roistacher later says in body camera video, "I’ve got a 'he said, she said.' Granted he's an officer, but I have to look at it from that side."
"You know, just because you're an off-duty police officer doesn't give you the right to threaten people with a firearm," said Dixon.
We went to officer Carter’s home Thursday to ask him about Locklin’s accusations. Carter told us he could not comment and asked us to leave the property.
As we were packing up, a uniformed East Ridge officer showed up and spoke with Carter.
Just 15 minutes after our 6 p.m. report on Thursday aired, Stan Allen sent out a release notifying media that charges against Locklin were dropped.
Stan Allen's media release shared more of what he says happened since he was made aware of this situation.
Allen says on May 16th he was told of a "potential problem" that occurred on December 4th, 2021 with officer Sam Roistacher.
Allen says the incident started with off-duty Officer Andrew Carter reporting there was an incident with a neighbor concerning a dog running loose.
The dog had entered Carter’s yard and the neighbor’s son and a visitor, Kadron Locklin were chasing the dog, according to Allen.
Allen says Officer Carter told Mr. Locklin to get the dog out of his yard.
Mr. Locklin responded with profanity and threats with the words, “shut the **** up, I got something for you in the car, you ******* pig," according to Allen.
Allen says when Officer Roistacher arrived on the scene, Locklin started towards the house and refused commands to stop until almost inside.
Allen says the encounter is mostly on the body camera footage from Officer Roistacher's body camera. The camera apparently malfunctioned at the start, according to Allen.
Normally, when activated Allen says the camera records video with no sound. When reviewing the footage, the beginning immediately has sound.
During the interaction between Officer Roistacher and Locklin, Allen Corporal Crowe checked the vehicle Locklin was driving and found a loaded Smith & Wesson 40 caliber pistol including a 30-round magazine and a small amount of marijuana.
Allen says two others were in the car, who according to Locklin, are clients of Orange Grove Center with mental disabilities.
Allen released the following statement about dropping Allen's charges:
"As I result of my inquiry, I believe the charge of aggravated assault to be inappropriate. I had a discussion with ADA Cameron Williams and the decision was made to dismiss the charge of aggravated assault and not pursue the appropriate charges of Reckless Endangerment for leaving a loaded firearm in the vehicle with the clients.
The video showing the incident was first brought to my attention by ADA Williams after he had been told by Mr. Locklin’s attorney, Chris Dixon. Mr. Dixon also provided the video to a local news outlet who aired portions of it on air. The body camera footage from the other officers on the scene was purged after 60 days as is normal when not tagged for manual hold."
Officer Roistacher will receive a one-day suspension for the language that was used toward Locklin and remedial training in Tennessee state law, according to Allen.