Dr. Marc Lamont Hill sues Philadelphia police for $1 million over alleged harassment

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, an intellectual and associate college professor, has filed a $1M lawsuit against the Philadelphia police.

Hill, an Associate Professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College, filed the lawsuit in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging that two officers harassed him.

Hill, who is currently a political contributor for Fox News Channel. He regularly appears on tv programs such as The O’Reilly Factor, Huckabee, and Hannity. In addition he’s featured on other channels like CNN, MSNBC, and CourtTV.

According to the lawsuit, the incident took place on June 17 during a traffic stop. The suit alleges Philadelphia police asked Hill to produce his vehicle registration which. Hill said he complied.

Officer Decoatsworth allegedly pulled Hill out of the car by his arm, drove his fist into Hill’s back, and asked him why he thought he “could afford” his vehicle after Hill questioned why he was being stopped.

As this occurred, another unnamed officer searched Hill’s vehicle without his consent.

Officer DeCoatsworth then allegedly told Hill to “get out of this neighborhood and go home”. Hill was reportedly never charged with a crime.

Dr. Hill, who is a resident of Philadelphia, earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He claims the officers violated his First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

“The Constitutional violations suffered by Plaintiff were the result of the City’s policies, procedures, customs and practices of allowing its officers to make stops without reasonable suspicion, and to use unreasonable and excessive force thereby violating the civil rights of those with whom they come into contact,” Hill’s lawyer Leonard K. Hill said in court papers.