Knox County, TN (WOKI / WVLT) – A Knox County man has reached a settlement with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office after he was mistakenly arrested and held for three days.
According to court filings, Justin Anthony Clark was taken into custody in March when deputies were attempting to serve an arrest warrant for a different individual, Justin Eugene Clark, out of Morgan County.
Clark alleges that despite having identification on him, deputies did not verify key details such as his middle name, date of birth, or Social Security number before arresting him at his home on Gleason Drive. He says he repeatedly told deputies they had the wrong person but was still taken into custody.
During his time in jail, Clark claims he was denied medication needed to treat a serious kidney condition, despite requesting it multiple times. He also alleges the incident led to job loss, medical complications, and emotional distress.
The lawsuit further claims deputies failed to contact Morgan County officials for additional identifying information, such as fingerprints, which could have confirmed the mistake earlier.
Clark was released after three days, once authorities verified his identity.
A stipulation of dismissal filed in May shows the case was settled without going to trial. The settlement amount was not disclosed, though the original lawsuit sought $100,000 in damages.
