An Alabama woman filed a federal lawsuit this week against the police officer who arrested her for refusing to show her identification.
Twyla Stallworth’s lawsuit alleges that she was assaulted, strip-searched and jailed for 15 hours, not for committing any crime, but simply for refusing to show her ID to John G. Barton, a police officer in the small town of Andalusia.
“Enough is enough for the Black people and the Black community,” said Stallworth at a press conference outside the federal courthouse in Montgomery on Thursday. “Stand boldly for your rights and always cover yourself. Have a camera and make sure you’re recording because without evidence, you lose every time.”
The lawsuit alleges that Officer Barton assaulted Stallworth and her son in their home while investigating a noise complaint on Feb.23.
A spokesperson for the city declined to comment on the lawsuit because it’s an ongoing legal matter. AL.com has requested comment from the city’s attorney.
After a video of the arrest made national news, Earl Johnson, the mayor of Andaluisa, issued a public apology and announced that the city was dropping the charges.
Andalusia, home to about 8,800 people, is located about 90 miles south of Montgomery.
In February, Stallworth called the Andalusia Police Department multiple times to make a noise complaint against her neighbor.
When the police did not follow up on her complaints, according to the lawsuit, Stallworth purposely set off her car alarm to get her neighbor’s attention.
The neighbor then called police and Officer Barton showed up at Stallworth’s home, the lawsuit says.
Stallworth’s son, Jermari Marshall, recorded video that showed his mother refusing to show Barton her identification.
In the video, Stallworth questions whether Barton also demanded that her white neighbor show his ID. Barton said the neighbor had provided ID.
“I’m not arguing with you. Show me your ID, or you’re going to jail,” Barton says, according to the video.
Barton then tells her to put her hands behind her back and grabs her wrist.
Stallworth’s attorney said that Barton didn’t have a legal basis for demanding Stallworth show her ID because she hadn’t committed any crime, and she never should have been arrested.
Yet the video shows Stallworth screaming, being thrown on to her couch and put in handcuffs.
According to the lawsuit, Barton “physically assaulted Jermari,” and then “unlawfully entered” their home where he then “physically assaulted Ms. Stallworth in the presence of her son.”
“Why are you trying to rough up a female, dude? You need Jesus… This ain’t nothing but the devil,” Stallworth says in the video of her arrest
The lawsuit alleges that Stallworth was unlawfully arrested and illegally detained.
Stallworth, who is Black, told NBC News she believes her arrest could have been racially motivated because both of her neighbors involved in the dispute, who are white, were not arrested.
“My power was taken from me. I wasn’t able to fight back,” Stallworth told the outlet. “I wasn’t able to protect my son. I felt powerless. Nobody should be treated this way.”
Harry Daniels, a civil rights lawyer representing Stallworth, said she got arrested for calling out racism.
“He was leaving. He was walking back to his car ready to drive away right up until she called out his racism,” Daniels said. “Calling out racism isn’t illegal. Using your badge to intimidate a 40-year-old mother is.”
When apologizing for Stallworth’s arrest, in a video on the city’s Facebook page, Mayor Johnson, said that the city’s police department would receive additional training “on Constitutional law, the laws of the State of Alabama, and the City of Andalusia’s ordinances, so that we will not have problems like this one in the future.”
The mayor said that Barton was “disciplined for failing in his duty to know the law” but did not elaborate on what the disciplinary action was.
Stallworth, who was born and raised in Andalusia, was transported to the Covington County jail where she was subjected to a strip search and held for 15 hours before being required to post a $3,035 bond to secure her freedom, according to the lawsuit.
During the press conference on Thursday, she said the experience was traumatizing.
“Every morning I wake up a different person because of the traumatization of all of this,” Stallworth said. “Stand boldly for your rights and always cover yourself. Have a camera and make sure you’re recording because without evidence, you lose every time.”
According to the lawsuit, Stallworth has suffered emotional distress with “significant PTSD type symptoms.”
It also states that her son has suffered similar symptoms requiring psychological treatment.
“I am incredibly disappointed in the city,” said Marshall, Stallworth’s son, during the press conference. “I was born and raised here, like my mom, went to school here most of my life. I’m incredibly disappointed but not surprised.”
