North Myrtle Beach police wrongfully held teenager at gunpoint and detained her during traffic stop

WMBF News reporter Ale Espinosa will have more on this story starting on WMBF News First at four.

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – A recent graduate of a North Myrtle Beach high school claims police wrongfully arrested and handcuffed her last month.

La’Nisha Hemingway, 18, filed a federal lawsuit against the city of North Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach Police Chief Dana Crowell and department officials following an alleged incident on May 3.

According to the lawsuit, Hemingway was on his way to a graduation party with friends when police stopped them on Highway 17 South. According to the documents, Hemingway was traveling at a reasonable speed in a dark gray Dodge Charger.

The complaint further states that officers allegedly dragged her from her vehicle and forced her to walk backwards at gunpoint before handcuffing her.

The documents further state that officers received a report of the theft of a silver Dodge Challenger with a different license plate driving into town from Barefoot Resort Bridge Road. It also states that Hemingway’s car was searched “without sufficient probable cause or search warrant.”

Shortly after Hemingway was arrested, officers reportedly realized they had stopped the wrong car. The lawsuit also claims the admission was captured on body camera video.

You can read the full complaint below:

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