What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida
I will do my best to keep this short. Multiple vehicles were burglarized in my neighborhood overnight. In the morning, a neighbor saw their vehicles ransacked and one of them was seen parked on the street down the block, so they called the police department.
I found out my vehicle was one that was burglarized because the officers were notifying people door-to-door. I had my vehicle "processed" which entails taking your fingerprints, dusting for fingerprints, taking your picture, and taking pictures of your car or at least that is what I went through. I was also visited by detectives whom asked questions and implied accusations.
A week later I came to find out the reason the detectives were sent to talk to me is because an officer felt I looked similar to the suspect, a black male, even wrote it in the report. Additionally, one of the burglarized vehicles was allegedly stolen and parked in front of my home; not clearly stated to be on the street but rather specifically at my house address. I went back and forth for weeks with the police department getting inaccuracies fixed. Ultimately, I can't really refute an officer's feelings so in an addendum to the report it was just mentioned that I was asked questions and cleared of suspicion. However, they will not change the location of the stolen vehicle because that is what the witness reported and they also provided a picture of where the vehicle was found located on that day. I've looked at the picture and it is a little pixelated but I can see the car was not in front of my home.
Naturally, I'm perturbed because what I think happened was discrimination. I think the officers did all in their power to mischaracterize me in the report, casting me in a bad light and then tried to back out of it while saving face. But I am a realist, the world isn't fair and proving prejudice would be to troublesome. All I am concerned with now is fixing the inaccurate vehicle location. I already look like a fool to anyone who has read the original police report but at least anyone who reads the report in the future will see me in a better light.
So to my question, since according to the report the neighbor placed the car in front of my home can I sue for defamation of character? According to the report the officers have reach out twice and were told the same story as to the vehicles location both times.
I will do my best to keep this short. Multiple vehicles were burglarized in my neighborhood overnight. In the morning, a neighbor saw their vehicles ransacked and one of them was seen parked on the street down the block, so they called the police department.
I found out my vehicle was one that was burglarized because the officers were notifying people door-to-door. I had my vehicle "processed" which entails taking your fingerprints, dusting for fingerprints, taking your picture, and taking pictures of your car or at least that is what I went through. I was also visited by detectives whom asked questions and implied accusations.
A week later I came to find out the reason the detectives were sent to talk to me is because an officer felt I looked similar to the suspect, a black male, even wrote it in the report. Additionally, one of the burglarized vehicles was allegedly stolen and parked in front of my home; not clearly stated to be on the street but rather specifically at my house address. I went back and forth for weeks with the police department getting inaccuracies fixed. Ultimately, I can't really refute an officer's feelings so in an addendum to the report it was just mentioned that I was asked questions and cleared of suspicion. However, they will not change the location of the stolen vehicle because that is what the witness reported and they also provided a picture of where the vehicle was found located on that day. I've looked at the picture and it is a little pixelated but I can see the car was not in front of my home.
Naturally, I'm perturbed because what I think happened was discrimination. I think the officers did all in their power to mischaracterize me in the report, casting me in a bad light and then tried to back out of it while saving face. But I am a realist, the world isn't fair and proving prejudice would be to troublesome. All I am concerned with now is fixing the inaccurate vehicle location. I already look like a fool to anyone who has read the original police report but at least anyone who reads the report in the future will see me in a better light.
So to my question, since according to the report the neighbor placed the car in front of my home can I sue for defamation of character? According to the report the officers have reach out twice and were told the same story as to the vehicles location both times.