Jaylan Butler, Eastern Illinois Swimmer, Reaches Settlement in Suit with Police

The ACLU this week announced that swimmer Jaylan Butler has reached a settlement in his lawsuit against police.

The suit stems from an incident in 2019 when Butler, a swimmer for Eastern Illinois University, was detained by police when the team bus stopped at a rest stop. Police pulled guns on Butler as they pinned him to the ground.

The ACLU brought suit, Butler v. Staes, et al., on Butler’s behalf against members of the East Moline and Hampton Police Departments in Illinois. Butler filed a motion to dismiss following the remaining claims after reaching a settlement with two of the officers involved.

“We filed this case to seek accountability for Jaylan and to raise awareness of the degree to which traumatic police interactions harm individuals, even when the person harmed is able to walk away,” the ACLU Illinois chapter wrote on its website. “We believe, and Jaylan concurs, that our actions to date have satisfied those goals. Now, Jaylan can put this matter behind him and continue his private life as a student, athlete, and young man.”

Jaylan Butler also released a statement on the ACLU site:

“The memories of that night being pressed to the ground, with officers swearing at me and a gun pointed at my head, will remain with me forever. But I know that unlike other Black men who have been stopped and manhandled by police, I got to go home. For me, this lawsuit has always been about holding the officers accountable for their actions that night. I believe I have accomplished that goal. As a result, I am happy to dismiss the suit and move forward.

I want to thank all of the people from across the country who were supportive of me during this time. I value your well wishes and words of appreciation more than I can say.

The end of this lawsuit is not the end of the fight for police accountability. We must ensure that officers are held to account when they violate someone’s constitutional rights. This is an effort that I will continue to support for the rest of my life.”

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Jaylan Butler

2 years ago

Just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time to share my story. It means alot especially knowing that the swim world, a world and sport I’ve come to love so much is also in my corner.