ALABAMA – An Alabama man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office alleging an off-duty deputy injured him at a Houma restaurant last year.
Willie Levens II, of Butler County, accuses Deputy Dexter Gaspard of unlawfully detaining him and using excessive force during an incident on Feb. 22, 2020, at Honest Abe’s Barbecue Restaurant at 693 Corporate Drive.
According to the complaint filed Jan. 11 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Levens was accosted by Gaspard, who was “grossly intoxicated.”
“Suddenly and without warning, defendant Dextar Gaspard, due to mistaking Mr. Levens for another individual due to his intoxication, pushed Mr. Levens out of the door of the restaurant, which caused Mr. Levens to fall and sustain severe injuries,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit then accuses the deputy of following Levens and forcibly restraining him against a vehicle by holding his elbow against his neck and telling him he was going to be arrested.
“Although (Gaspard) forcibly detained Mr. Levens during this period of time, he was not advised as to why he was being detained,” the lawsuit says. “Additional Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene on instruction from (Gaspard). Once the officers arrived on the scene, they assessed the situation, determined Mr. Levens was not suspected of any wrongdoing and allowed him to the leave the premises.”
Attorney Bill Dodd, who represents the Sheriff’s Office, said Levens’ lawsuit paints a distorted picture. He added that Levens had been riding on a party bus and was intoxicated and disruptive.
“From what I was told this guy was pretty intoxicated and evidently said some crude and rude things in the restaurant,” Dodd said. “The staff asked him to leave because he was being loud and boisterous. The deputy escorted him outside when he wouldn’t leave. He then tripped over a concrete barrier. I have viewed video of the incident and it was obvious to me that (Levens) was extremely intoxicated.”
Levens said in his complaint that he suffered “significant injuries” including three fractures in his kneecap for which he is still undergoing treatment.
In addition to Gaspard, the lawsuit names Sheriff Tim Soignet and the Sheriff’s Office as defendants. However, the incident occurred in 2019 before Soignet took office last July.
He is seeking unspecified damages for “past and future physical pain and suffering, past and future mental pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment and disability and past and future medical expenses” as well as court costs.
He is being represented by Metairie attorney Louis H. Thomas III.
Dodd said he is confident the Sheriff’s Office will prevail in court.
“I think at the end of the day the deputy acted appropriately even though he was off-duty,” Dodd said. “We’ll be able to defend this case.”
