A Barren County man has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city of Horse Cave and its police department.
The civil complaint alleges that officers tried to coerce the citizen into orchestrating a drug deal.
Travis Branstetter of Glasgow is also suing former Horse Cave Police Chief Sean Henry and officers Larry Dale Martin and James Roberts.
According to court records, Branstetter claims he was unlawfully detained and arrested at a police roadblock in August 2017.
He alleges that Horse Cave police told him he was being arrested for DUI, yet he had not been drinking nor did officers perform any field sobriety tests.
Branstetter further alleges that officers told him if he would not be arrested if he set up a drug purchase with a third party.
Branstetter said he pretended to arrange the drug deal, but that his efforts didn’t satisfy the officers. He claims officers let him go on the promise that he would try the next day to set up the narcotics purchase, or else get arrested again for DUI.
Branstetter said he then reported the incident to a friend who worked for the Hart County Sheriff’s Office at the time.
The defendants responded to the claims in separate court documents and denied most of the accusations. The defendants are pleading sovereign and governmental immunity and are asking the case be dismissed, as well as claims for punitive damages.
Attorneys for each side have not returned phone calls requesting comments.
