DEWITT, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Town of DeWitt along with its Police force is moving towards a federal lawsuit filed by two women at the center of the 2021 rough arrest at the East Syracuse Walmart.
The women, Tanjenik Byrd and Tyreana Edmonds are asking for $9,000,000 each in damages. The pair already had their case in State Supreme Court dismissed at the end of March, just two days before filing this lawsuit.
The arrest happened back in July of 2021, when Byrd and Edmonds were shopping at Walmart with their kids and nephew when they were approached by a group of women who previously tried to assault Byrd, according to the lawsuit.
That group of women became aggressive with Byrd and Edmonds, however, the two were able to leave the group of women but it wasn’t before they were stopped by DeWitt Police Officers Corey Buyck and Rory Spain who “approached and stopped” Byrd and Edmonds and were “acting in concert.”
According to the lawsuit, before even questioning the women, the officers “forcibly attempted to place Byrd and Edmonds in handcuffs.”
At the time of their arrest, Police say Tanjenik Byrd used pepper spray during a fight at the Walmart and when officers got there, she and Tyreana Edmonds were taken into custody and Edmonds resisted arrest.
A review of Officer Rory Spain’s use of force found it was not excessive.
The full lawsuit can be read below.
