Man sues ESL and cop for mistaking him as robber

A man claims he was beaten, handcuffed and arrested by an East St. Louis police officer who mistook him for a robber.

According to a lawsuit filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court, Vincent Wade was at the home of Phillip Street on April 26, 2006, when Street reported a robbery to police.

"The defendant Vincent Anderson and other East St. Louis police officers responded to the call and upon arrival at the homeowner's address and in the immediate investigation of said robbery, mistook plaintiff as the robber," the complaint filed April 12 states.

The suit names Anderson, the city, East St. Louis Police Chief James Mister and the police department as defendants.

Wade claims his civil rights as guaranteed by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments were violated.

He claims he was beaten when he was not resisting arrest and was fully cooperating. He also claims Anderson's actions "created unreasonable humiliation and embarrassment...in that he was arrested and handcuffed and identified as a robber."

Represented by Charles H. Stegmeyer of Stegmeyer & Stegmeyer in Belleville, Wade is seeking in excess of $200,000 in damages plus punitive damages.