SALT LAKE CITY — A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed against the City of American Fork and multiple police officers over the viral Reckless Ben LEGO conflict.
The group of 4 plaintiffs, including 3 Utah residents, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming police performed "unconstitutional stops, searches, and arrests" during a dispute that gained nationwide attention earlier this year.
The residents appeared in videos on the YouTube channel of Ben Schneider, also known as "Reckless Ben." Schneider was investigating an incident in which a family claimed its $200,000 collection was stolen by Utah-based LEGO resellers, Bricks and Minifigs.
The dispute stemmed from a store in Oregon, but led Schneider and others to American Fork when they say they learned one of the store owners lived here.
“So we went on a crusade, I guess you could say, to get this man’s LEGOs back,” said Sheldon Norcross, one of the plaintiffs who came in from Illinois.
“We were trying to serve lawsuit papers," said Tyler Shaw, another plaintiff who's from Utah. "I actually live here, and Ben told me ‘Hey, can I ship a bunch of props to your house for this video I’m making?’ And I said sure”
During his investigation in March, Schneider was arrested on stalking and picketing charges. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Norcross, Shaw, Sierra Lauts, and Steven Allen, assisted Schneider in his investigation, but were never charged with a crime.
The lawsuit highlights four separate incidents over multiple days in March involving police officers who allegedly violated the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs.
According to the lawsuit, Shaw was stopped twice by police for traffic violations and held for hours. Lauts was detained for allegedly trespassing while trying to serve court papers, while Norcross was arrested after he "invoked his right to remain silent," according to a statement from the group's attorneys.
“Obviously, our rights were violated, and I think they need to be held accountable for it, for sure,” Shaw said.
The lawsuit describes a statement American Fork Police Chief Cameron Paul made in a video statement about the incidents, saying, "...the honest truth is, we didn’t do this perfectly... there’s several issues that I think weren’t handled well, or were handled outside of policy, and so those are all things that I’m looking to address.”
On March 11, attorney Solomon Radner says the most egregious actions unfolded at an Airbnb where Schneider and the others were staying. Radner detailed body-worn camera video in which officers performed a no-knock warrant with guns drawn.
“This is how people can end up getting killed - this is how people do end up getting killed,” said Radner.
But Chief Paul previously characterized it as a knock-and-announce warrant, part of a nearly 30-minute-long YouTube video released in May where he addressed the incidents.
“Our responsibility in Utah was not to determine who was morally right or wrong in a business disagreement in another state," Chief Paul said. "Our responsibility was to respond to conduct reported in our community.”
But Radner and his clients are now seeking compensatory and punitive damages for his department's alleged actions.
“Nobody here has anything against the police," Radner said. "But we are anti-police corruption. Something has to be done, and to our knowledge, nothing has been.”
FOX 13 News reached out to American Fork for further comment once the lawsuit was filed, but city officials said they do not comment on any pending litigation.
Schneider's preliminary hearing for his criminal charges is currently set for December 16.