City of Booneville and its Police Chief headed to Federal Court

BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Booneville and its Police Chief are headed to Federal Court in October.

A Mississippi woman has filed a Federal civil lawsuit against a former Booneville Police Officer, the City of Booneville, and Police Chief Michael Ramey.

The woman claims she was sexually assaulted by an on-duty police officer in August of 2020. In her lawsuit, she says the officer picked her up near a motel, put her in the back of the patrol car, told her to lie down, and drove to a warehouse parking lot.

She claims he then stopped the car, dragged her out, and sexually assaulted her. When she said she was going to report him, the officer allegedly told her no one would believe her over him. She says she was able to get away from him while heput his clothes back on.

Court documents say she gave a statement to the Booneville Police Department.

The officer in question was investigated by the FBI for civil rights violations. He was fired in January 2021, and later arrested.

He eventually pleaded guilty to on-duty thefts of money and drugs from traffic stops and arrests and one charge of lying to a federal agent. A Sexual Assault charge against him was dropped.

He is currently serving time in a Federal prison in Texas.

Trial date for the civil suit is set for October 2nd in Northern District Federal Court in Aberdeen.