DALLAS – A former Dallas police officer arrested on capital murder charges and fired last year before being released following a preliminary hearing where the charges were dropped is suing the detective who investigated him.
Before the charges were dismissed, Bryan Riser spent a month in jail. Now he is accusing Dallas police Detective Esteban Montenegro of violating his civil rights and falsely arresting and booking him, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Dallas, reported The Dallas Morning News.
During Riser’s preliminary hearing on the charges, a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to send the case to a grand jury.
Riser had been accused of ordering three men, Kevin Kidd, Emmanuel Kilpatrick and Jermon Simmons, to kill Albert Douglas and Lisa Saenz in 2017, Law Officer previously reported.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said in April 2021 the department respected the judge’s decision, but they had a probable cause affidavit approved by a judge before taking the former officer into custody, NBC 5 reported.
Montenegro is currently on administrative leave from the agency while he is under criminal investigation over allegations that he perjured himself and tampered with records, WFAA reported.
Riser is seeking compensation for lost wages, mental pain and anguish and legal fees associated with clearing his name, according to The Dallas Morning News. The lawsuit does not specify an amount.
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