Tammy Ross, deputy commissioner of the St. Louis City Justice Center, is suing Sheriff Alfred Montgomery alleging false imprisonment, battery and civil rights violations.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court, follows an incident in which Montgomery and his staff attempted to interview a detainee who allegedly had sexual contact with a deputy — a class E felony according to Missouri law.
Ross says in the suit that she told Montgomery he needed permission from the city’s legal department and Public Safety Director Charles Coyle to do an interview.
Montgomery has said he had permission: He previously told St. Louis Public Radio that Ross had consented to the interview request and later told KMOV it was Coyle. The director has disputed those claims.
“At no time and under no circumstance did I give a directive to allow Sheriff Montgomery or his staff to interview a detainee within the custody of the Corrections Division,” Coyle said in a statement on Feb. 18.
After Ross refused to let Montgomery interview the detainee, he ordered a deputy to handcuff her. She alleges that in doing so, Montgomery was holding her without any legal justification or a warrant. Ross alleges the deputy who handcuffed her at the sheriff’s bequest “unlawfully and intentionally battered her” by grabbing her arms and doing so.
Ross’s attorney Joe Neill said Montgomery isn’t qualified to be sheriff.
“In addition to seeking damages, I think one of the things that Ms. Ross and I are looking for is to make sure that justice is served in this instance and that the public is alerted to the improper and illegal actions of Alfred Montgomery,” Neil said.
Ross, who was serving as acting commissioner at the time, claims Montgomery ordered her to walk to the sheriff’s office. She says he subsequently threatened her and claimed he had the legal authority to detain her. It was only after Montgomery’s attorney Blake Lawrence whispered something in his ear that Ross alleges she was let go.
“The conduct of Defendant Sheriff Montgomery both in his individual and official capacity have caused Plaintiff to suffer embarrassment, humiliation and emotional distress,” the suit reads.
A spokesperson for Ross declined to comment.
Ross’ lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal actions and investigations against Montgomery and his office.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department referred the Ross incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation last month. The department also referred a separate case to the FBI in which the sheriff's office seized a former deputy’s weapon temporarily. As a matter of policy, the FBI neither confirms nor denies the existence of investigations.
Tony Kirchner, a former sheriff’s deputy and 1st Ward aldermanic candidate, is suing Montgomery for defamation. Montgomery claimed he terminated Kirchner for not doing his job, but audio recordings reveal he made the deputy sheriff roll a pair of golden dice for a chance to keep his job. Kirchner and his attorneys have alleged wrongful termination, discrimination and political collusion with his aldermanic opponent.
Neill, the attorney representing Ross, is himself suing the department for two days’ worth of unpaid wages before he was terminated last December.
Sheriff’s Department spokesman John Gieseke said Montgomery can’t comment due to ongoing litigation but said the sheriff “will vigorously address these allegations in court.”
Ross is asking for an unspecified amount in damages. A hearing date has not been set.
