NOTN- The Juneau Man who was knocked unconscious during an arrest in July is now suing the city and Former JPD Officer Brandon LeBlanc, alleging he used excessive force.
The case was opened November 13, and assigned to Judge Amanda Browning according to court documents.
Christopher Williams Jr. is represented by attorney Jeffrey Barber.
No response from the City and Borough of Juneau or Brandon LeBlanc has been filed in the publicly available record as of November 18.
The video of the arrest was posted to social media, prompting widespread public outcry, from city leaders, Tlingit and Haida, and even prompting peaceful protest as well as policy and training reforms within the Juneau Police Department.
Williams was medevaced to Anchorage after being taken to the ground outside the Douglas Library.
A GoFundMe was set up for Williams’ recovery in August and raised $4,692.
LeBlanc resigned from the department a day before the body camera footage was released, and the state office of special prosecutions did not file criminal charges.
Nearly 100 protesters peacefully called for accountability and systemic police reform following his arrest with organizer Jamiann S’eiltin saying the incident reflects a broader pattern of violence against Indigenous people.
“This isn’t something new,” S’eiltin said in July. “This has been going on since almost time immemorial, since the arrival of Western European settlers. So, just want to put that out there that we are brutally attacked 10 times more than the national average.”
