MIAMI — A man is suing the city of Miami after he alleges he was wrongfully detained by an officer.
Samuel Lee Smith Jr. alleges that on June 9, 2020, his First, Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated during a wrongful detention orchestrated by Officer Eric Marti, according to a complaint filed Oct. 31 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida at Miami.
The plaintiff claims that Marti, without reasonable suspicion or probable cause, detained him at gunpoint, falsely reported criminal activity and called for backup when no evidence was found.
Smith claims Marti, without identifying himself as a law enforcement officer, pointed a gun at the plaintiff while he was lawfully stopped at a traffic light. Fearing for his life, the plaintiff recorded the incident. Marti later directed the plaintiff to stay put and failed to identify himself even after the Palmetto Bay officers arrived.
The plaintiff lodged a detailed complaint with the Civil Investigative Panel (CIP), alleging illegal detention and attempts to falsify information. Unlike the City of Miami Police Internal Affairs Office, the CIP conducted a thorough and neutral investigation, ultimately sustaining the allegation of improper procedure against Marti.
Smith is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is represented by Kaysia M. Earley of Earley Law Firm in Sunrise.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida at Miami case number: 1:23-cv-24150