SARALAND, Ala (NBC 15) — A former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper and his family are suing the City of Saraland and two Saraland police officers, accusing them of conducting an unconstitutional traffic stop, unlawfully extending the detention, searching their vehicle, and seizing more than $25,000 in cash despite finding no drugs or contraband.
The federal lawsuit was filed June 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama by Joel Chapa, his wife Dalila Chapa, Javier Rocha and three minor children, all U.S. Citizens according to the filing. The suit names the City of Saraland, Officer Gregory E. Cully and Officer C. Little as defendants.
According to the complaint, the family was stopped June 17, 2024, on I-65 South near mile marker 16 in Saraland while traveling back to Texas from South Carolina. The lawsuit says Cully initiated the stop for alleged “improper lane usage,” but the plaintiffs deny any traffic violation occurred…