COVINGTON, Ky. — A man involved in a protest on the Roebling Bridge last year has filed a federal lawsuit against a Covington police officer and the City of Covington, as he continues to face criminal charges stemming from the incident.
Brandon Hill and his attorney, Marvin Knorr, filed a 23-page complaint in federal court Wednesday against Covington police officer Zachary Stayton, an unnamed second officer and the City of Covington. Body-worn camera footage previously showed Hill being struck in the head by Stayton during a July 17, 2025 protest against ICE.
The lawsuit accuses the two officers of excessive force, deprivation of procedural and substantive due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, conspiracy to violate civil rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and assault and battery.
Knorr said the use of force was the wrong approach.
WATCH: Covington protester sues city, police officers amid pending criminal charges
"It looks like they came and they responded, and they used force to try to de-escalate," Knorr said Friday. "So they escalated in order to try to de-escalate, and that to me is the wrong response."
The complaint also accuses the City of Covington of liability for the hiring and retaining of Stayton, failure to properly train Stayton, failure to properly supervise Stayton and failure to discipline and correct the unlawful acts and omissions of Stayton.
Stayton was previously suspended for 30 days without pay for his response to the protest and has since rejoined the force.
Knorr said the city's response fell short.
"They (were) trying to curtail their liability," Knorr said.
Hill still faces criminal charges for his involvement in the incident. Knorr said those charges do not undermine the civil claims.
"You have a right to be free from excessive force in the United States," Knorr said. "Covington is saying, 'Well, there were charges filed.' But charges don't give a police officer the right to use excessive force."
We reached out to the Covington Police Department for a statement or response to the lawsuit. They deferred to the City of Covington's statement below:
"The City of Covington is aware of the federal lawsuit recently filed by one of the individuals facing criminal charges related to the July 2025 incident on the Roebling Suspension Bridge.
As a matter of policy, the City does not typically comment on active litigation. However, it is important to note that the individual who filed the lawsuit is currently being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office after a Kenton County Judge reviewed the evidence presented in the case and determined there was probable cause for the felony charges, allowing the matter to move forward through the criminal justice system.
The events that occurred on the Roebling Bridge in July 2025 posed serious public safety concerns. The City remains committed to ensuring Covington is a safe place for all residents and visitors.
Because both the criminal case and the civil litigation remain pending, the City has no further comment at this time."
