Officer Buell arrived at the scene of Mr. Lankford’s arrest in 2016 and allegedly struck Lankford’s legs with a baton to gain compliance. Additionally, during transport to the police station, Buell was accused of using racial epithets towards Lankford. A lawsuit was filed against Buell, alleging excessive force and racial discrimination. The court found that while Buell’s actions were questionable, they did not violate clearly established law at the time, leading to a partial summary judgment in his favor.
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