Man injured by security guard in Power & Light awarded more than $700K from KC company
Kansas City MO Nov 11 2022 A jury decided a Kansas City company owes more than $700,000 in damages after one of their security guards wrestled a man to the ground in the Power & Light District.
The lawsuit was filed by Rodney Rivers, a Texas man, who had traveled in March 2019 to Kansas City for a Big 12 basketball game.
Rivers, who is Black, was standing outside a restaurant near 14th and Grand Boulevard when a security guard with Semper Blue Professional Services told him he needed to move.
The lawsuit alleges that the security guard had no prior experience when he was hired and had less than one day of training. It also claims that a supervisor authorized the guard’s actions. The guard grabbed Rivers “and violently forced him to the ground in a prone position,” the lawsuit said, and then the guard put his knee on Rivers’ back and handcuffed him.
The lawsuit said Rivers’ legs, neck and back were injured. A Jackson County jury did not find that the incident was discriminatory, but awarded Rivers $754,000 for emotional distress and punitive damages on counts of battery and false imprisonment. Lynne Jaben Bratcher, an attorney for Rivers, said her client was gratified by the verdict.
“He felt that the whole trial process and his going through the process made him a better man,” she said in a statement. “He is a proud father of three young children and he worried about the future of his young black sons. He felt proud of standing up for his rights and hopes it will help others in the future.”
Attorney Kathryn Alsobrook represented Semper Blue. “While we are pleased the jury found in favor of our clients on the initial claim, we have no further comment pending the resolution of post-trial motions,” she said in an email. The company did not respond to a message seeking comment.
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