Chicago Man Sues City and CPD Officers Over Arrest During Attempt to File Report
A Chicago man, Qwentin Howard, is taking legal action against the city and three CPD officers after an incident where he alleges he was wrongfully arrested while trying to report missing bullets from his legally owned firearm.
Howard, a registered gun owner with both a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card and a concealed carry license, claims that Officers Julian Irving and Sarah Abuosba stopped him during a traffic stop and placed his gun in the trunk of his vehicle. Upon retrieving the firearm, Howard noticed that two bullets were missing.
Seeking to report the missing ammunition, Howard drove to the Wentworth (2nd) District station. However, the situation took a turn for the worse upon his arrival.
According to Howard, when he informed Officers Irving and Abuosba, as well as their supervisor Officer John Sanders, that he would be recording the interaction, Sanders demanded a physical FOID card from Howard, despite him having shown an electronic version earlier during the traffic stop.
When Howard asserted that the electronic card was legally valid as per Illinois law, Sanders allegedly accused him of accusing the officers of theft. This led to Howard’s detainment and subsequent arrest by Irving.
Howard was charged with unlawful use of a weapon for not carrying a physical FOID card, but the charges were later dropped. His lawsuit includes claims of First Amendment retaliation, malicious prosecution, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, arguing that his arrest was in retaliation for attempting to file a police report.
U.S. District Judge Manish Shah recently ruled in favor of Howard, allowing his retaliation and malicious prosecution claims to move forward. The judge highlighted the lack of probable cause for Howard’s arrest, noting that the electronic FOID card should have sufficed based on Illinois law. However, the claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress was dismissed as the alleged conduct did not meet the legal threshold.
