On October 24, 2024, Ian Cuypers filed a federal civil rights complaint alleging that Superior Police Department officers used excessive force during a traffic stop and later pursued unsupported criminal charges. The lawsuit seeks damages for physical injury, emotional trauma, and malicious prosecution.
The video from LackLuster revisits the February 2024 traffic stop of Ian Cuypers in Superior, Wisconsin, showing video footage of the event and analyzing the ensuing debate over officers’ actions, Cuypers’ response, and potential legal outcomes.
This incident report documents a February 28, 2024 traffic stop in the 2000 block of John Avenue, Superior, Wisconsin, initiated after a vehicle allegedly traveled the wrong way on a one-way street and then stopped on John Ave. The driver, identified as Ian Richard Cuypers, was cited and associated with a black 2007 Pontiac G6 bearing Minnesota plate NLN435.
According to Officer J.L. Taylor’s narrative, additional officers—including Sgt. Brown and Officers Gaard, Moen, and Crist—arrived to conduct a high-risk stop due to the driver’s “furtive movements.” Commands were repeated; a Taser was deployed by Ofc. Gaard, the probes were removed, and Cuypers was taken into custody for resisting/obstructing before ultimately being released with citations (City Ord. 102-1; WI SS 346.04(2)). He was transported to the Douglas County Jail, then returned to his vehicle when the decision was made to issue citations rather than lodge him.
On July 16, 2024, Douglas County Circuit Judge Kelly Thimm presided over the City of Superior v. Ian Cuypers jury trial. The transcript documents opening statements and witness testimony from City Attorney Frog Prell and Officers Justin Taylor, Taylor Gaard, and Matthew Brown regarding Cuypers’s alleged obstruction and traffic violation.
On October 24, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin issued summonses to the City of Superior and three police officers—Justin Taylor, Taylor Gaard, and Sergeant Matthew Brown—in connection with Ian Cuypers’s federal civil rights lawsuit. The filings mark the beginning of the city’s official defense in a case alleging excessive force and wrongful prosecution.
On October 24, 2024, attorney Nora Snyder of Chicago’s People’s Law Office filed a Notice of Appearance on behalf of plaintiff Ian Cuypers in his federal civil rights case against City of Superior police officers. The filing officially begins her role in representing Cuypers in the Western District of Wisconsin.
On October 24, 2024, Ian Richard Cuypers filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against City of Superior police officers and the municipality, alleging excessive force and wrongful prosecution following a February traffic stop. The case, filed in the Western District of Wisconsin, highlights local taxpayer exposure for police misconduct claims.
On October 24, 2024, Ian Cuypers filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against City of Superior police officers Justin Taylor, Taylor Gaard, and Sergeant Matthew Brown. The complaint alleges excessive force and malicious prosecution following a February 2024 traffic stop, spotlighting accountability issues within Superior’s police department.
On October 24, 2024, Ian Cuypers filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Superior Police Officers Justin Taylor, Taylor Gaard, and Sgt. Matthew Brown, along with the City of Superior. The complaint alleges that officers used excessive force during a February 2024 traffic stop, including deploying a taser on Cuypers without cause, and later pursued false charges to cover up their actions.