Vietnamese family files federal lawsuit against OKC, former officer & AG Drummond over alleged civil rights violation

A Vietnamese immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen has filed a federal lawsuit against former Oklahoma City Police Officer Joseph Gibson, the city of Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, alleging multiple civil rights violations stemming from a traffic stop and detention in 2024.

Lich Vu, the plaintiff, claims that he was subjected to excessive force and wrongfully arrested during a traffic stop conducted by the Oklahoma City police department on October 27. The complaint, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

When asked how the family is doing today, Civil Rights Attorney Devon Jacob responded, “They’re suffering. I mean, Mr. Gibson broke Mr. Vu – that’s essentially what he did. In doing so, he also broke that family.” 

Jacob assisted with several high-profile civil rights cases, including George Floyd’s, prior to taking on this case. 

READ MORE: OKC police officer resigns after controversial use of force in 2024 traffic stop

Allegations of False Arrest and Excessive Force

According to the facts laid out in the complaint, Vu was forcibly removed from his vehicle, handcuffed, and detained without cause during a traffic stop initiated by Oklahoma City police. Vu was pushed to the ground during his arrest and suffered injuries, including fractures and a brain bleed for which he required surgery.

"If you're only bedridden because you've been dropped on your head, there's been a lost value to your life. And sadly, our system—the only system we have—is a system that says everything has to be reduced to dollars and cents," Jacob explained.

Officers allegedly pointed firearms at Vu, inflicting serious and life-threatening injuries, shouted commands in English despite his limited proficiency in the language, and failed to provide proper interpretation services, the lawsuit said.

The complaint states that Vu was taken to the Oklahoma County Detention Center, where he was held for several hours and allegedly denied timely access to legal counsel. No charges were ever filed against Vu, and he was released later that day.

The Oklahoma County District Attorney initially filed criminal charges against former officer Gibson after the encounter. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond dismissed those charges in December.

"If he's not the one who's liable as a de facto policymaker and supervisor with respect to training and use-of-force, who is? Because the police department's going to say 'we had to provide this training' and that is going to be their defense," said Jacob.

Next Steps in Legal Process

The case has been assigned to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and will proceed through the federal litigation process. No court dates have been scheduled as of yet, and none of the named individuals or entities have filed formal responses.

"Our civil rights have a value to them. People died in order to get our civil rights, so the simple violation of your rights in and of itself has a value," he finished.

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