By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
A Kansas City federal judge has awarded a man $833,250 in a road rage lawsuit in which a DEA agent brutally beat him after their cars collided in 2003, court records show. The man suffered permanent head injuries.
The defendant was the federal government and U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson heard the case without a jury and issued a written ruling Friday.
The incident happened when the plaintiff in the case, Barron Bowling, refused to let a car illegally pass him in Kansas City. The unmarked car happened to have three DEA agents inside. The cars bumped into each other and they both pulled over, though the judge concluded the collision was an accident.
What happened next, the judge wrote was a case of ” road rage fueled by egos and unwarranted selfrighteousness, and aggravated by disguised identity. A Drug Enforcement Administration Agent (“DEA agent”), acting in an undercover capacity…commits a traffic offense, expects an unwitting but equally self-righteous civilian motorist to yield, and then explodes with rage after the ensuing collision and damage to his government-owned vehicle.”
The agents detained Bowling, and then according to the judge’s ruling, DEA agent Timothy McCue “struck plaintiff in the face and in the back of the head, with a closed fist and/or with his Glock pistol, with sufficient force to cause a closed head injury, as well as other visible and not visible injuries.
” McCue struck plaintiff at a time when plaintiff was prone, face down on the hot pavement, but before his right arm was fully secured. McCue struck plaintiff before he was fully handcuffed..The Court further finds that McCue kicked plaintiff several times, while plaintiff was fully handcuffed and laying on the ground.”
The agents then arrested Bowling. To that end, the judge said the “arrest and charging of Bowling is part of the agents’ effort to cover up the fact that Bowling was illegally stopped and beaten.”
The Wyandotte County Unified Government, which tried unsuccessfully prosecuting Bowling for intentionally causing the wreck, was a defendant in the case, but settled last year for $425,000.
DEA spokesman David Ausiello said DEA is reviewing the judge’s decision and that McCue is still an employee of the DEA.
Barron Bowling’s grandfather was an Assistant Chief of Police in Alabama — he would be disgusted to know that any law officer in the US would act such as McCue. At the very least McCue should have his retirement monies taken, be fired and given a good stiff prison sentence. Barron has suffered much and still suffers from the damages, beating administered to him. Barron an innocent man who was beat falsely arrested and falsely charged in a cover up by law enforcement officers. The amounts of monies awarded are nothing compared to the proven damages.
Bob Bowling
Barron’s father
retired City Government
Director of the Bible Ministry