The Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center successfully reached a settlement agreement on behalf of a father and his two children who were held at gun point by a sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana.
On April 17, 2020, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Gintz followed Wesley Pigott and his two children, Mya and K.P., for several miles in an unmarked vehicle. Pigott, who was driving while K.P. and two of his friends sat in the truck bed, pulled into an empty parking lot. The children were the only people visible in the truck, as Pigott’s windows were tinted.
When Pigott opened his door to exit his truck, he faced Gintz holding a gun pointed at him. The sheriff’s deputy gave Pigott no warning and did not identify himself as law enforcement. A frightened K.P. begged the officer through tears not to shoot his father. Gintz responded, turning the gun he held pointed at Pigott toward K.P., age 15, and his two friends sitting in the truck bed.
A few minutes later, a second police officer arrived at the scene and worked to deescalate the situation. The officer conducted a pat-down of Pigott, after which Gintz then lowered the gun he was aiming at Pigott. The children were allowed to put their hands down.
Rapides Parish Sherrif authorities never accused or charged Pigott with any crime, though Gintz’s excessive force caused the Pigotts to suffer severe mental and emotional distress.
In April 2021, the ACLU and co-counsel filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on behalf of the Pigotts that alleged Gintz employed excessive force against the family, violating their Fourth Amendment rights. The complaint also alleged that the officer’s actions violated the Pigotts’ rights under Louisiana state law. The SPLC joined the suit on behalf of the Pigotts in August 2023.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an appellate ruling in December 2024 holding that Gintz was not entitled to qualified immunity as the Pigotts were nonthreatening and not resisting.
On the eve of trial in November 2025, the Pigotts reached a settlement agreement with Gintz, agreeing to drop their claims in exchange for a confidential settlement payment.
