Man whose case was dismissed after he spent 15 months in jail joining lawsuit against Antioch police
OAKLAND - Dreshawn Jackson says he was sitting in his car outside a friend's house back in 2018, when an Antioch police officer pulled up behind him.
"I was chilling with a friend. We parked in a cul-de-sac 'cause there was no parking in front of the house," Jackson said. "A neighbor called the police and said there was an unidentified Black male in the court."
Jackson says the Antioch police officer took his ID, and then arrested him.
"When he takes me to jail, he says in his report that I told him that I had a gun and that's what it was about," Jackson said. "He never asked me anything. We never even had a conversation like that."
Jackson was booked into Santa Rita Jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2018 and he spent 15 months in jail, and several years fighting the charge in court.
Jackson's case was eventually dismissed on April 21, 2022. The notice of dismissal stated that "the government has uncovered evidence that undermines its confidence" in its ability to meet its burden of proof in the case, according to U.S. District Court documents.
Jackson was arrested by one of the Antioch officers embroiled in the racist text messaging scandal. Officer Eric Rombough was recently named in the FBI and Contra Costa County District Attorney's March report that shows Rombough comparing Black people to gorillas, using the n-word, and in one text message, saying he only stopped someone "cuz they Black."
Antioch police text scandal: officer boasts about hurting suspects
An Antioch police officer bragged about his use of brutal force during the takedown of two Black men, according to the latest batch of text messages released from an investigation into misconduct permeating the Antioch Police Department.
"It's disgusting. I feel like, these are the people that, you know, if we're in trouble you're supposed to call," Jackson said.
Although Jackson's case was dismissed, it's had a huge impact on his family and life.
"I got kids. I couldn't see my kids you know," Jackson said, describing the time he was incarcerated. "It threw a wrench in my life on top of not being able to get a job to this day."
John Burris, an Oakland-based civil rights attorney who filed a civil lawsuit last week against the Antioch Police Department, the officers involved, and the city, said he plans to add Jackson to the list of people suing those three entities.
Lawsuit seeks federal oversight of Antioch police alleging racism and bigotry
In a federal lawsuit eerily similar to one filed 20 years ago in Oakland, civil rights attorney John Burris says the police department in Antioch – 35 miles away – is rife with bigotry, racism, lies and unconstitutional force.
"We do believe that there are large numbers of citizens just like [Jackson] who have been mistreated and we hope to bring forward as many as possible," Burris said. "The collateral damage is that if a person is wrongfully arrested and they can't get it cleared up, they have to hire a lawyer and they sit in jail, disconnected from their family."
KTVU reached out late Wednesday to the Antioch Police Department for comment and is awaiting a response.
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com and follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU or Facebook @NewsJana or ktvu.com.