Former Cardinals player wrongfully detained to file lawsuit

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Wesley Leasy has filed a notice of claim against both the Mesa and Phoenix Police Departments.

The backstory:

In April, Leasy and his daughter were mistakenly ordered to the ground and held at gunpoint by police.

The former football player and Scottsdale resident was being a dad, picking his daughter up from the airport. 

Leasy recalled the moment his life flashed before his eyes, listening to his daughter’s cries for help. It’s a moment that still haunts him, knowing the outcome could have been very different that day and there was nothing he could do to protect his daughter.

Body camera video showed the father and daughter on the ground, surrounded by nearly a dozen officers, all with their guns drawn and lasers pointed at the Leasy’s.

At the time, police said they mistook him for a suspect in a murder who they said was driving a similar vehicle.

The notice of claim shows a photo provided by Mesa PD of the suspect: a white male with tattoos covering his face. But instead they detained a father with no criminal record.

What they’re saying:

“Can imagine you’re laying down on the ground with your daughter right beside you, thinking that somebody is going to die,” Leasy said. “Somebody makes a wrong move and your daughter is crying. She’s my only daughter that I do have. So this is flashing through my mind, like in a second. It can all just be over.”

“And it wasn’t a case of mistaken identity. This is a case of common sense,” said attorney Benjamin Taylor. “They’re trying to sweep it under the rug. And that’s why you have to bring a notice of claim to make sure that this is not swept under the rug. Make sure the public in the world understands that these things happen every day to totally innocent people.”

What’s next:

Fox 10 reached out to both Mesa and Phoenix Police Departments. Mesa PD said they are unable to discuss any pending lawsuits.

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