A Soddy-Daisy police officer filed a false report that led to the wrongful arrest of a Hamilton County man earlier this year, according to a federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed on Dec. 27 in U.S. District Court on behalf of Hugo Garcia Padilla by Murfreesboro attorney Bryan Moseley, claims that Soddy-Daisy Police Officer Billy Lankford wrongfully arrested Garcia Padilla in connection with a Jan. 4 shooting in the 9600 block of Barbee Street. No one was injured in the incident.
The lawsuit said Garcia Padilla's ordeal began with a statement by Leonardo Maya, who was among those attacked by the shooter.
"Mr. Maya gave defendant Lankford the first name of the suspect, which was 'Hugo,'" the lawsuit stated. "Mr. Maya also informed defendant Lankford that the suspect lived near the O'Reilly's Auto Parts store on Hixson Pike."
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Garcia Padilla, who lived on Ely Road at the time of the incident, according to the lawsuit, was arrested by Lankford, who stated in a sworn affidavit seeking Garcia Padilla's arrest that Maya said the name of the person who assaulted him was Hugo Garcia Padilla.
Garcia Padilla was arrested on Jan. 5 and charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of reckless endangerment. He was also put on a hold by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and taken to Louisiana to be deported due to the charges stemming from the shooting, according to documents obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Charges against Garcia Padilla...
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