Keonte Furdge was arrested and held at gunpoint in his home by two officers on June 2 after a neighbor called the police while he was sitting on his patio.
The house belonged to his high school coach's late mother and he gave him and a friend permission to stay at the home. Furdge and his friend, Toren Young, were moving into their new home in the predominantly-white suburb Monona, Wisconsin when a female neighbor called the police. Young was not present at the time of the incident.
"My neighbor...passed away, the house is empty, and now there is an African-American with sweatpants...and a white shirt sitting on the front door," the caller said according to released audio of the call.
Police say they believed a burglary was taking place when their knock was ignored. In his complaint, Furdge says officers Jared Wedig and Luke Wunsch did not knock nor ring the doorbell before entering. Furdge's statement was corrobated by bodycam footage although Wedig shouted, "Police department, come out with your hands up!"
Once Furdge entered the living room, he was handcuffed and questioned.
"I was definitely afraid for my life," Furdge said. "They was like, 'Are you allowed to be here?' I was like, 'Yes, my coach is allowing me and another friend to stay here.' And he was like: 'Well, we got a suspicious call saying that people was on the property, and the lady that lived here was deceased.' I was like, 'Well, my coach knows that me and my friend are staying here.' And my hands are still up. The guns are still pointing at me for some reason. They still…they didn't put the guns down."
Furdge was released once the officers were able to get a hold of his coach, who confirmed his story. Wunsch apologized and said he recognized Furdge from his high school football days.
"I am glad it was you and I recognized you versus somebody who I didn't know, but, ah, that is still not, nobody wants that interaction," says Wunsch.
Furdge's suit lists four counts including unlawful entry, false arrest and detention, excessive force, and failure to intervene. The suit also seeks to hold the city liable for the two officers' actions.
Furdge is seeking unspecified damages for bodily injury, pain, suffering, mental distress, humiliation, loss of liberty, and related expenses.
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