Shane Lee Brown is suing police departments in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nv., and several officers after they jailed him for six days, instead of a white man with a similar name who is taller, nearly twice as old and a convicted felon, NPR reports. The lawsuit alleges that Shane Lee Brown, a Black man who was 23 years old at the time, was driving home on Jan. 8, 2020, when he was pulled over by Henderson police officers. He did not have his license but provided his name, Social Security number and Social Security card. The lawsuit says that during the records check, the Henderson Police Department officers "confused" Shane Lee Brown with Shane Neal Brown, 49, who is 4 inches taller than Shane Lee Brown, has a beard, and is white.
Shane Neal Brown was first convicted of a felony in 1994, and a warrant was issued in 2019 for his arrest for possession of a firearm. Shane Lee Brown remained in custody for six days, despite repeatedly telling officials he was not the Shane Brown they were looking for. Shane Lee Brown is suing for negligence, emotional distress, false imprisonment and violation of civil rights and seeking $500,000 in damages.