City of Columbia sued, accused of negligence, racial discrimination in 2020 death investigation by mother of man who died
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The City of Columbia is being sued by Doressia T. Mckee, who alleges racial discrimination led to the Columbia Police Department mishandling the death investigation of her son.
Freddie McKee, 37, was found dead outside of a home in July 2020 on Switzler Street. On Dec. 8, after a request from the Columbia Citizens Police Review Board, CPD reopened the investigation in January 2022.
Medical examiners first ruled McKee's death as accidental from a drug overdose. McKee's mother, Doressia McKee, questioned the work police and medical examiners did in looking into his death. She claimed police did not interview relevant witnesses or take injuries to his body that the medical examiner noted.
On July 12, Doressia T. McKee filed a petition for damages for the alleged mishandling of her son's case.
That lawsuit was then sent to the federal courts, the City and CPD Detective Steve Wilmoth are sued for several counts.
The first two counts are for intentional race discrimination. Both counts outline that witnesses were not properly investigated, "because of decedent's race."
In the Court documents, it says Wilmoth's failures were, "motivated by anointment to discriminate, as evidenced by, inter alia, Wilmoth's statement that "all black people were on drugs and not worthy of telling the truth."
Both counts are for damages in the excess of $25,000, "including actual damages and punitive damages, for the costs incurred herein and expected."
Counts 3 and 4 are for violating the Fourteenth Amendment for equal protection, for the same excess of $25,000 each.
Counts 5 and 6 are for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Court documents state that Wimoth's actions were, "intentional, wrongful, done with knowledge they were wrongful, done with malice, done in bad faith."
ABC 17 News reached out to the City of Columbia. A spokeswoman said the City received the lawsuit and it does not comment on pending litigation.
