Dwayne Brooks, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1988, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Cleveland and several former police officers, alleging that they suppressed evidence that could have proven his innocence. The lawsuit, initiated nearly a year after his dismissal, addresses the almost 35-year imprisonment Brooks endured for a crime he did not commit. WKYC reported that Brooks and his legal team seek tens of millions in damages for violating his civil rights.
At the heart of the case is the 1987 shootout in Cleveland's East Side, where Brooks was accused despite having an alibi that placed him in New York with family. Further digging by Brook's attorneys uncovered that the two witnesses used against him were not reliable, with one even suspected to have been the actual perpetrator in the crime, according to Ideastream Public Media. Evidence also indicated that these witnesses, identifiable as the thieves of the van used in the shooting, had pinned the crime on Brooks.
Despite the dismissal of charges in September 2023, the "nightmare's still there" for Brooks, who spoke of the persistent trauma of his wrongful imprisonment. I can’t explain to you to where you can understand how it feels to be kidnapped, hunted down and kidnapped and put in an environment where I had to either survive or become a perpetual victim", Brooks conveyed in an interview obtained by WKYC.
The suit is a stark indictment of the justice system's failure, highlighting cases dating back to 1975, where appellate court judges found that Cleveland police withheld exculpatory evidence. "This is so pervasive, and we see the same police officers, the same homicide detectives, coming up in case after case, that it's hard for me to believe that they were just being lazy or taking the easy way out," attorney Sarah Gelsomino said, detailing the history of misconduct in an interview with Ideastream Public Media. The city has declined to comment on the pending litigation. Brooks's fight for reparations continues as the legal process unfolds, with his attorney stating that while no amount of money can restore the time and life lost, the lawsuit represents a "semblance of justice."
