Metro agrees to pay nearly $250K in wrongful arrest settlement

It's been more than three years since Ralph Ward was taken into custody at a convenience store in Nolensville. Now, he's sharing his first-hand account of the night that changed his life.

[danthompson]

The officers that participated in this wrongful arrest should be fired. You don't get to arrest the wrong person, and then wait 7 months to figure out you are wrong.

[johnkeith]

From janitor to neurosurgeon, I have seen no other professions that tolerate, and covers for, incompetence and ignorance as much as law enforcement does.

[Sunstar]

It’s important to note the officers were following a black Nissan, verified by dispatch and lost track of it. Then they saw Mr Ward’s car which is a red Lexus. Complete incompetence. They also refused to verify his phone’s GPS because arrest is the easier option, no matter how disruptive it is to an innocent person. Lastly after charges were dropped, Mr Ward’s innocence not in question, this MNPD despicably asked the court to deny him a financial settlement.

[clintmatthews]

Justice delayed is justice denied. Seven months to drop the OBVIOUSLY false charges, and 3 years to pay him $250k. That's absolutely absurd. And of course, the officers, the real criminals face no repercussions.

[richardrichard]

They filed false charges to cover their ass

[francoisbouvier]

Seven months, and he settled for $250K? Now, that's a travesty of justice.

[stephans]

Municipalities should not be allowed to settle these cases. They should be fully prosecuted, the people responsible should be fired and face punishment.

[stephencruthis]

until qualified immunity is abolished this will continue to happen, prosecutors and judges should also be held accountable

[jeffgutierrez]

The cops don't care if you are innocent or guilty, they just want the arrest, no matter whose life they ruin. Always record the police, the life you save may be your own.

[lisdexia]

Seven months? That could easily destroy somebody's life. Total lack of accountability.

[RuthPreach]

$232K is not enough for what he went through.

[geekchameleon]

I know lots of people lie and say "it wasn't me, " but I thought we paid officers to investigate instead of punish. The fact that the charges were held over his head for seven months even though he had evidence of his innocence is disgusting.

[allpurposeguy]

It's mind-boggling how long it takes for them to correct their mistakes.

[tooge]

imagine being INTENTIONALLY wrongfully arrested !!!

[michellejoel]

They just wants to arrest someone and did not care who they arrested.

[garybohr]

It took 7 months for those scumbags to figure out they had the wrong guy? They got off cheap. It obviously boils down to the cops screwed up but they don't want to their stupidity exposed...

[mase]

So, instead of arresting him outside, they go into a store with innocent people around and pull guns. STUPID COPS!

[skankhunt]

Charged with evading arrest, when you're not the person that they were going to arrest in the first place is absolutely absurd.

[chriscopley]

Cops simply can't imagine they might have made a mistake. They always have to double down and escalate.

[ianbattles]

If it takes 7 months for an innocent person to be exonerated, *it should take a lot longer than 7 minutes to decide to arrest someone.*