Federal lawsuit filed against 3 Kenosha police officers following 2023 Applebee's arrest
Updated: July 15, 2026
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Three years after he says officers used excessive force while arresting him inside an Applebee's, a Kenosha man has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Kenosha and three police officers.
Jermelle English
The lawsuit, filed by civil rights attorney B'Ivory LaMarr, claims Jermelle English Jr. was wrongly identified as a suspect in a crash.
In body camera video, officers are seen wrestling English to the ground and arresting him while he was holding his young son.
English says he continues to suffer physical and emotional trauma nearly three years later.
"One thing that we can be certain about as to -- regardless of what led the officers in the presence of Jermelle English, their actions after which is solely their decision," LaMarr said. "Their decision to use force, their decision to not deescalate and to take the profile on acts, even when Mr. English was completely restrained on the ground."
The lawsuit names Officer Michael Vences, Officer Luke Courtier, and Officer Kevin Roepke along with the City of Kenosha.
Two officers were suspended following the 2023 arrest, and charges against English were dismissed.
LaMarr says his client hopes the lawsuit leads to compensation for his injuries and changes to police training and deescalation practices.
Kenosha police declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the department released a video statement years ago.
Posted: July 14, 2026
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A federal lawsuit will be filed against the City of Kenosha and three Kenosha police officers Wednesday, stemming from a 2023 arrest in an Applebee's restaurant.
The lawsuit claims the officers used excessive force against Jermelle English Jr. when they grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground while looking for a suspect in July of 2023. English was holding his 1-year-old son at the time.
All charges against English were ultimately dismissed.
The names of the officers will be released Wednesday once the lawsuit is filed.
We reached out to the Kenosha Police Department for a response. They said they have no further comment.