LAWSUITS FOR FALSE ARRESTS:

Two people who were arrested by police who misidentified them as drug dealers have filed lawsuits against several East Tennessee counties, law enforcement agencies and officers. . . . Kitts, a UPS worker and youth athletics coach, is asking for up to $5 million from a slew of defendants including the Task Force’s executive director, Mack Smith; the agents who investigated the case; and the cities and counties that employed the agents.

Yates, a factory worker who ended up losing her house and filing bankruptcy after she was falsely accused twice of being a drug dealer, is asking for $10 million.

Both Kitts and Yates became law enforcement targets during secret counter-drug operations that used confidential informants in addition to police acting in undercover roles.

Sadly, this kind of mistake isn’t that unusual.