Appeals Court Says BLM Activist Can Be Sued By Officer

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A federal appeals court in Louisiana stood by an April decision to allow a Black Lives Matter organizer to be sued by an injured officer.

News outlets report the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed the case Thursday and upheld their decision.

During protests after the 2016 killing of Alton Sterling, a Baton Rouge officer was injured. The officer identified as John Doe in court records sued DeRay Mckesson, a prominent Baltimore activist and a Black Lives Matter organizer.

Judge Brian Jackson dismissed the lawsuit in 2017, citing First Amendment rights, but the appeals court ruled in April that the officer could sue Mckesson for negligence.

The court says although Doe was injured during a political protest, the complaint shouldn't be dismissed on First Amendment grounds.