A member of Detroit’s civilian police oversight board says command officers and their unions waged a “campaign of defamation and harassment” against him by filing misconduct complaints that two separate city oversight bodies later threw out.
Darious Morris, an elected member of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court on June 8 against the city of Detroit, the Detroit Police Department, two police unions — the Detroit Police Command Officers Association and the Detroit Police Lieutenants and Sergeants Association — and four officers, accusing them of defamation, libel and slander.
Morris says in his lawsuit that the defendants falsely accused him of criminal and unethical conduct, including intimidating officers and “doxxing” them by leaking confidential information online like where an officer lived, and meddling in active investigations.
And the defendants kept pushing those allegations even after two separate city bodies cleared him of them, the lawsuit states.
While the city said it won’t comment on Morris’ lawsuit, Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett said in a statement to the Free Press:
“We are looking very closely at whether his decision to sue some of the same DPD personnel over whom he has oversight authority creates an irreconcilable conflict in his ability to continue to serve as a police commissioner.”
The Detroit Police Department said it does not comment on pending litigation. The police unions did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In January, Morris, who calls himself “The People’s Commissioner,” complained on social media about a handful of officers in the 9th Precinct and took particular issue with a commander who would not allow him into the precinct’s building without taking off his belt and belongings before going through a metal detector — which was allegedly racist behavior, according to Morris’ Facebook posts that are now removed.
Morris posted the officer’s name and photo online and attempted a social media campaign to get the officer fired.
Police unions called for Morris’ resignation and accused him of doxxing officers.
After the social media posts, Detroit’s Office of Inspector General received complaints from the officers alleging that Morris had “used his position to harass officers, post their photos and personal information online, bypass station security and intimidate officers,” the lawsuit states. The OIG opened an investigation, and in March concluded that Morris “did not abuse his authority as alleged,” the lawsuit revealed.
Specifically, the suit says of the OIG’s findings: “Morris did not access or post private or confidential information and only posted information that was already publicly available online; Morris did not improperly bypass security because the department has no universal station-security policy and commissioners routinely enter without screening; and that he did not improperly confront or intimidate officers.”
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants knew their allegations were false and were told of the OIG’s results before the office published its findings.
Despite that, the suit says, offices filled a complaint against Morris with the City of Detroit Board of Ethics, which was also dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
More, the lawsuit argues these complaints against Morris were filed in retaliation against “his lawful exercise of civilian oversight and his constitutionally protected criticism of the police department.”
The lawsuit is requesting $25,000 in damages, arguing that the defendants’ “reckless disregard for the truth” resulted in Morris suffering damage to his reputation, public office, business, and “standing in the community.”
“Commissioner Morris is an elected official within the City of Detroit with a proven track record of grassroots advocacy. The continued defamatory attacks, by and through named defendants, undeniably have demonized our client, resulting in professional and occupational damages,” said Morris’ attorney, Edward Martell.
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at asahouri@freepress.com.