On behalf of her 13-year old son, Ava Thompson Greenwell filed a complaint in federal court against the City of Evanston and the police officer who handcuffed her son on Aug. 30.

The Complaint alleges that the police officer grabbed and handcuffed her son even though he did not fit the description of the suspect. The complaint also alleges that the police officer had several offensive images and messages posted on his Facebook page in the weeks before the incident.

Count I alleges that the police officer conducted an unreasonable search and seizure of Ms. Greenwell’s son in violation of Section 1983 of the federal Civil Rights Act. Counts II though IV are brought against both the police officer and the City, and allege an assault, false imprisonment, and violation of the Illinois Constitution. Count V, against the City, alleges a failure to supervise.

The City declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Larry Gavin was a co-founder of the Evanston RoundTable in 1998 and assisted in its conversion to a non-profit in 2021. He has received many journalism awards for his articles on education, housing and...