Grad student sues police for excessive force after they pull him over for stealing his own car

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Lawrence Crosby was pulled over by police in 2015 for allegedly stealing a car, but the car they pulled him over in actually belonged to him.

Crosby is now filing suit against the city of Evanston, Illinois, as well as against four officers for excessive force.

Evanston police on Wednesday released not only dashboard video of the incident but a recording of the 911 call in which a woman reported seeing a man stealing a car.

“Yeah. I don’t know if I’m like racial profiling… I feel bad,” said the 911 caller after describing a man standing by a car with a long bar in his hands.

— Black graduates owe nearly twice as much student debt as whites — 

“Did you see him jimmy the door open or do anything?” 911 dispatcher asked.

“He had a bar in his hand, and it looked like he was jimmying the door open,” the caller replied.

When police pulled Crosby over a short time later, he can be seen in the video getting out of the car with his hands up. The police approach him with guns drawn, shouting at him, and he is pulled to the ground and placed in handcuffs even while he continues to tell police that he owns the car and has documentation for it.

Crosby is now seeking damages in excess of $50,000 over the incident.