Current:Home > MarketsMan cuffed but not charged after Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally shooting sues congressman over online post -Capitatum
Man cuffed but not charged after Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally shooting sues congressman over online post
Will Sage Astor View
Date:2025-04-07 04:01:55
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A man who was briefly handcuffed in the chaos that followed a deadly shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally is suing a Tennessee congressman who falsely accused him in social media posts of being one of the shooters and an immigrant in the country illegally.
Denton Loudermill Jr., of Olathe, Kansas, filed the federal lawsuit this week against U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, alleging that the remarks were “highly offensive, derogatory in the extreme, and defamatory.”
Burchett, a Republican, is serving his third term representing a district in east Tennessee. His spokeswoman, Rachel Partlow, said the office doesn’t comment on pending or active litigation.
The Feb. 14 shooting outside the historic Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, killed a well-known DJ and injured more than 20 others, many of them children. Loudermill, who is not among those charged, is seeking more than $75,000 in damages.
The suit says that when gunfire erupted, Loudermill froze, standing in the middle of the chaos so long that police had put up crime scene tape when he finally walked away.
As he tried to go under the tape to leave, officers stopped him and told him he was moving “too slow.” They handcuffed him and put him on a curb, where people began taking pictures and posting them on social media, the suit says.
Loudermill ultimately was led away from the area and told he was free to go.
The suit says that Loudermill, who was born and raised in the U.S., was never detained, cited or arrested in the shooting. The suit stresses that he had no involvement and didn’t know any of the teens or young adults who argued before gunfire erupted.
But the next day, a picture of Loudermill was posted on Burchett’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter. Above the picture were the words: “One of the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade shooters has been identified as an illegal Alien.”
A follow-up post on Feb. 18 blamed incorrect news reports for the “illegal alien” identification. But the post, which was included in the lawsuit, still described the cuffed man seated on the curb as “one of the shooters.”
The suit alleges the “false assertions” were reposted and widely circulated to more than 1 million people worldwide.
The suit describes Loudermill as a car wash employee — not a public figure — and a “contributing member of his African-American family, a family with deep and long roots in his Kansas community.”
The suit says he received death threats and experienced periods of “anxiety, agitation, and sleep disruption.”
veryGood! (328)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Kyler Murray is back. His return could foreshadow a messy future for the Cardinals.
- Kim Kardashian Proves She's a Rare Gem With Blinding Diamond Look
- The family of a Palestinian activist jailed for incitement says young woman’s account was hacked
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Alaska governor appoints Republican Thomas Baker to vacant state House seat
- Vatican says it’s permissible for transgender Catholics to be baptized
- Mean Girls Clip Reveals Who Gretchen Wieners Married
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Wounded North Carolina sheriff’s deputies expected to make full recovery
Ranking
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- 'Colin' the dog brings 2 — no wait, 3 —lonely hearts together in this fetching series
- Actors and studios reportedly make a deal to end Hollywood strikes
- Adidas says it may write off remaining unsold Yeezy shoes after breakup with Ye
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Report: Michigan says Rutgers, Ohio State shared its signs before 2022 Big Ten title game
- Are we at a 'tipping' point? You're not imagining it. How and why businesses get you to tip more
- RHONY Alum Sonja Morgan Reveals She Had Sex With Owen Wilson Several Times
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Irina Shayk Shares Update on Co-Parenting Relationship With Ex Bradley Cooper
Detroit police arrest suspect in killing of Jewish leader Samantha Woll
Atlanta man arrested with gun near U.S. Capitol faces numerous charges
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Minnesota Supreme Court dismisses ‘insurrection clause’ challenge and allows Trump on primary ballot
Will stocks trade on Veterans Day? Here's the status of financial markets on the holiday
Suspect in custody in recent fatal stabbing of Detroit synagogue leader