Hurricane Chris’ lawyer shares details on planned lawsuit against City of Shreveport, SPD

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - KSLA first learned about the lawsuit Attorney Alex Washington and Christopher Dooley (Hurricane Chris) are preparing to bring against the City of Shreveport and other defendants on Sept. 7.

On Sept. 15, KSLA learned more details from Washington about the pending lawsuit. Dooley plans to sue not only the city but the Shreveport Police Department (SPD) as well.

“The reasoning of the delay is making sure everything is in the lawsuit because it will be a federal lawsuit,” the attorney said.

Back in June of 2020, Dooley was connected to a shooting at a gas station in Shreveport that led to the death of 32-year-old Danzeria Farris Jr., who was shot multiple times. In March of 2023, Dooley was found not guilty of second-degree murder.

Washington claims although his client was found not guilty, he says Dooley being charged with murder lead him to miss out on potential music and acting opportunities.

“It took away that opportunity for him to make a lot of money. There was a lot of shows that wanted him, and they didn’t choose him because of this case against him.”

Washington said the pending lawsuit stems from claims of how SPD mishandled the investigation. He claimed once officers were made aware that Dooley was a well-known rapper, the investigation changed, and they made several jokes and comments to him.

“The officers spoke to Chris, evaluated the scene, and everyone said they felt it was self-defense. He did not have handcuffs on. He was standing around, [and] then one officer said ‘do y’all know who he is?’ They said ‘no.’ He said ‘that’s Hurricane Chris.’ And after that point, the officer, who originally spoke to Chris, put handcuffs on him and then later said, ‘I put handcuffs on my first celebrity,’ and they began to laugh,” Washington stated.

His attorney claims the initial shooting investigation was mishandled by the Shreveport Police Department. He claimed once officers were made aware that Dooley is a “well-known” rapper, they changed the investigation and made several jokes and comments at his expense.

According to the attorney, evidence is still being reviewed and information that was used in the trial is being gathered. He said the extensive process means it could take up to a year to file the lawsuit.

KSLA reached out to Shreveport police about the matter and are awaiting a response.

Copyright 2023 KSLA. All rights reserved.