Local man brings lawsuit against Columbia Police Department

The founder of a watchdog group called Citizens for Justice has filed a civil lawsuit against the Columbia Police Department citing police misconduct and retaliation.

Matt Akins formed the group after he was detained at a DWI checkpoint in 2010 when an officer said Akins had an illegal firearm and charged him with an unlawful use of a weapon.

ABC17 attended a meeting of the Missouri Civil Liberties Association and spoke with Akins’ attorney, Stephen Wyse, over the phone.

Wyse told ABC17 Akins was legally allowed to have the firearm.

“You shouldn’t be arrested for crimes if they’re not crimes,” he said.

After this encounter, Akins began to keep tabs on CPD. Eventually CPD realized Akins was filming his encounters and began to investigate his use of the camera.

Wyse said Akins believes when CPD realized he was recording officers on the job, the department retaliated against him in a number of ways, including seizing Akins without probable cause in 2011 when he was on the job for Citizens for Justice.

Wyse also said Akins believes a poster hanging in the police department with his name and information was in retaliation as well.

According to Wyse, Akin is not the only person in recent years to file a complaint of misconduct against CPD and experience some sort of retaliation.

Wyse said he thinks this kind of action violates peoples’ First Amendment rights.

“Hopefully we can vindicate the rights of people to be critical of the government without being arrested without cause,” Wyse said.

CPD responded to ABC17’s request for comment, only saying the department does not comment on pending litigation.