Man Wrongfully Arrested by Antioch Police Joins Civil Lawsuit

An Antioch man is joining a civil lawsuit against the city after he was wrongly arrested and spent 15 months in jail. Dreshawn Jackson says he was sitting in his car outside a friend's house back in 2018, when an Antioch police officer pulled up behind him.

"I was chilling with a friend. We parked in a cul-de-sac 'cause there was no parking in front of the house," said Jackson, saying the police report stated a call had come in, "A neighbor called the police and said there was an unidentified Black male in the court."

Jackson says the Antioch police officer took his ID and then arrested him, claiming he had a gun. Jackson says they never had a conversation about a gun, and he was booked into Santa Rita Jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2018.

Jackson spent 15 months in jail and several years fighting the charge in court. However, his case was dismissed on April 21, 2022. According to U.S. District Court documents, the notice of dismissal stated "the government has uncovered evidence that undermines its confidence" in its ability to meet its burden of proof in the case.

The Antioch police officer that arrested Jackson was Officer Eric Rombough, who was recently named in the FBI and Contra Costa County District Attorney's March report for texting racist messages that compared Black people to gorillas, using the n-word, and in one text message, saying he only stopped someone "cuz they Black."

"It's disgusting. I feel like, these are the people that, you know, if we're in trouble you're supposed to call," said Jackson.

Jackson said, although the case was dismissed, it's had a huge impact on his family and life. "I got kids. I couldn't see my kids you know," Jackson said, describing the time he was incarcerated. "It threw a wrench in my life on top of not being able to get a job to this day."

The incident has led Jackson to join a civil lawsuit against the Antioch Police Department, the officers involved, and the city. Oakland-based civil rights attorney John Burris filed the lawsuit last week and plans to add Jackson and other people who are stepping forward to the growing civil lawsuit.

"We do believe that there are large numbers of citizens just like him who have been mistreated and we hope to bring forward some of them as many as possible," said Burris.

The Antioch Police Department has yet to respond to KTVU's request for comment on the matter.

Jackson's experience highlights the impact of wrongful arrests on individuals and their families. It also demonstrates the importance of holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions and ensuring that justice is served. While it is unfortunate that Jackson had to endure such an ordeal, it is heartening to see him take action and join the civil lawsuit, which could potentially lead to significant changes in the way the Antioch Police Department operates.