Crider et al v. Williams

On September 27, 2023, in Montgomery, Alabama, Jamal Lewis, a 28-year-old African American man, was shot and killed by Officer Michael Williams during a traffic stop. The family, including Patricia Crider and Monique Lewis, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging excessive force, unlawful seizure, and denial of medical care. Body camera footage showed conflicting narratives; plaintiffs argue Lewis was unarmed and compliant, while the defense claims he reached for a weapon. The case drew national attention amid ongoing debates over police accountability.

The court denied the officer's motion to dismiss on qualified immunity grounds, allowing the excessive force and wrongful death claims to proceed to discovery. A trial date has not been set.

Whether Officer Williams used objectively unreasonable deadly force, and whether he is entitled to qualified immunity for the shooting.

The case intensified calls for federal police reform legislation and highlighted the use of body cameras as critical evidence in use-of-force investigations. Protests were held in Montgomery, and the incident influenced local policy debates on traffic stop procedures and de-escalation training.