Fairmont denies student’s racial profiling charge
FAIRMONT (AP) — The city of Fairmont denies police officers engaged in racial profiling and harassed a black college student. They want a federal judge to dismiss his lawsuit.
The ACLU of West Virginia sued last month in Marion County Circuit Court on behalf of Fairmont State University Justin Byrd, who says he was harassed and wrongly interrogated after a minor fender-bender in March 2011.
The city moved the case to U.S. District Court in Clarksburg this week. It denies police officers Aaron Dalton and Dave Wolford did anything wrong.
The lawsuit also targets the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and an unnamed deputy. They haven’t responded.
Byrd says police questioned him and his black passengers without cause, damaging his car and laptop during an hour-long search.
He says they acted unconstitutionally and unreasonably.
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