Two Kentucky State Police employees are facing a federal lawsuit after a Franklin County woman claims she was wrongfully arrested at her home while recording a traffic stop occurring in her driveway.
According to court documents, Christen Johnson claims Trooper Myron Jackson initiated a traffic stop on her mother, Christina Calvert, due to expired vehicle registration tags. Calvert pulled into Johnson’s driveway to comply with the stop.
Johnson, who was putting her children to bed at the time, came outside to check on the situation and informed the trooper that children were inside her home, but was ordered by Jackson to “go inside of the house or I will take you from your kids and take you to jail,” court records show.
Johnson returned to her home and grabbed her cell phone before stepping back outside to film the interaction, standing about 25 feet from Jackson, when he repeated his demands of her going inside. After Johnson said she had a right to record the interaction, Jackson handcuffed her and allegedly dragged her across gravel toward the police cruiser.
The lawsuit says Jackson did not issue Calvert a warning or written citation for her registration tags and left Calvert to care for Johnson’s children, despite a court order requiring she not be left alone with them.
As the traffic stop was taking place, Johnson called 911 and was connected with Sgt. Jason Briscoe, Jackson’s supervisor. Briscoe allegedly reviewed the body camera footage prior to Johnson’s booking, and informed Calvert that he would not interfere with the arrest.
When Johnson was released from the Franklin County Regional Jail the next day, she walked home to find a locked house and none of her three children inside. It is unclear if they were returned safely.
Johnson’s charges were dropped in February 2025 after a Franklin District Court judge ruled there was no probable cause for the arrest.
The lawsuit accuses Jackson and Briscoe of violating the First and Fourth Amendment of the U.S. constitution and engaging in battery, malicious prosecution, false arrest and imprisonment and the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Courier Journal has reached out to KSP for comment.
This story may update.
Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 2 Kentucky State Police troopers sued over alleged wrongful arrest