What This Case Is About
On November 18, 2025, I, Hugh Brian Street, stopped to film a routine traffic stop from a safe distance—a right protected by the First Amendment. Instead of upholding the law, Deputy Chuck Christ retaliated. He threatened me with arrest, "trapped" me with conflicting orders to "drive off" then "hold up," and placed his hand on his weapon to threaten lethal force against me while I was fully compliant.
"I done been through this shit with you before, Brian."
— Deputy Christ's statement during the detention.
This was not a random encounter. His statement refers to the last time I saw this deputy, when he came to my home and violently arrested both my mother and me. This past violence fueled the personal vendetta he acted upon during this stop.
But this lawsuit is not just about one rogue deputy holding a grudge. It is about what happened next. When I reported this misconduct to Sheriff Sam Craft and Chief of Operations Calvin Turner, they refused to act.
Chief Turner viewed the video evidence of the stop but refused to accept a criminal complaint against his deputy, explicitly stating the department's unwritten policy:
"We do not investigate our own."
Street v. Christ, et al. (Case No. 2:25-cv-01882) charges the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office with:
- First Amendment Retaliation: Targeting citizens for recording police activity.
- Unlawful Seizure: Detaining citizens on fabricated charges and "shifting pretexts."
- Monell Liability: Maintaining a custom of "Willful Blindness" where complaints are ignored and evidence is deleted to protect officers.
Why This Case Matters to You
This lawsuit is not just about one man's arrest. It challenges a decades-long policy of "Willful Blindness" within the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office. I have alleged that leadership has established a custom of refusing to accept complaints against their own deputies, effectively creating an environment where officers are above the law.
When VPSO leadership turns away criminal complaints against deputies, they grant officers impunity for committing crimes. This forces parish citizens to tolerate the crimes committed by deputies who feel emboldened by their department's policy of immunity.
"If you live in Vernon Parish, this affects your safety and your constitutional rights. I am fighting to ensure that when a citizen speaks up to report a deputy for committing a crime, they are heard—not silenced, arrested, or ignored."
We Need Your Testimony
This case alleges Monell liability violations by VPSO. To win, I must prove a pattern of corrupt policies within the Sheriff's Office that have caused constitutional violations to occur. Your story could be the missing piece of evidence.
I am specifically looking for witnesses who fit these descriptions:
Did you try to file a complaint against a deputy, only to be turned away? Were you told "We don't handle that," "You have to go to the State Police," or intimidated into leaving?
Were you arrested because you asked a deputy a question, attempted to video tape a deputy, made a deputy angry, or because you chose to remain silent?
Did you successfully file a written complaint, but never heard back? Were you later told that "no record exists" of your grievance?
Were you strapped into a restraint chair in the jail not because you were suicidal, but because you were "loud," "disrespectful," "refusing to answer questions", or for "bad behavior"? (Using restraints for punishment is illegal).
Were you denied prescribed medication, ignored during a medical emergency, or told to "stop faking it" while in severe pain? Did staff refuse to call a doctor when you clearly needed one?
Were you forced to live in squalor? Did your cell have black mold, sewage backups, extreme temperatures, or lack of running water? Were you denied basic hygiene items like soap or toilet paper?
Were you assaulted by another inmate while deputies watched, laughed, or disappeared? Did you ask to be moved from a dangerous cell but were ignored?
Were you punched, kicked, choked, or tased by a deputy while you were handcuffed or not resisting? Did a deputy use pain to "teach you a lesson" during an arrest?
Did a routine traffic stop turn into a prolonged detention? Were you held on the side of the road for an hour or more while they "fished" for a reason to search your car without a warrant?
Did deputies enter your home, search your vehicle, or seize your phone without a warrant and without your consent? Did they claim they "smelled something" just to bypass your rights?
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Follow the Evidence
I believe in total transparency. You can track the progress of the lawsuit, read the official court filings, and see exactly what the Sheriff's Office is arguing in court.