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COVINGTON, Ky. (WXIX) – Two Covington police officers are being sued over use of excessive force during an immigration protest where more than a dozen people were arrested on the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, according to a federal lawsuit.
Brandon Hill filed a lawsuit against officer Zachary Stayton, an unknown officer referred to as John Doe, and the City of Covington in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Kentucky on July 17 – exactly one year after chaos erupted on the Roebling Bridge.
Hundreds of people were on the bridge that day to march in protest of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detainment of former Cincinnati Children’s Hospital chaplain Ayman Soliman, who was locked away in Butler County’s ICE detention center for more than three months.
“This was a peaceful demonstration,” the lawsuit says. “Citizens of the United States, Plaintiff Hill among them, were exercising their First Amendment Rights on the Bridge.”
According to the complaint, Stayton approached Hill and repeatedly beat him using excessive force while the other officer restrained him.
Video captured at the protest shows a man encountering a Covington police officer on the bridge. This is the video that shows the incident referenced in the lawsuit.
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“Defendant Stayton can be seen repeatedly smashing his fist into Plaintiff Hill’s head, which was, at times, pinned against concrete and steel by aid of Defendant Doe,” the lawsuit says.
Hill sustained injuries from the encounter, the lawsuit says, including contusions, bruises, swelling, and mental and emotional trauma.
Read the full lawsuit below.
Police originally charged Hill with menacing, unlawful assembly, failure to disperse, obstructing a highway, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing emergency responders, and complicity to criminal mischief. The lawsuit denies Hill resisted arrest at any point during the incident.
According to Carolann Baughman, executive assistant to Covington’s mayor and city manager, there was enough probable cause to file charges against Hill.
“… 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,” Baughman said in a statement to FOX19 NOW.
“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,” Baughman continued.
Following the violent clash between protesters and officers, the Covington Police Department conducted its own use-of-force investigation. It ended in November, resulting in Stayton’s 30-day unpaid suspension and mandatory remedial training.
Hill is suing the city and the two officers on a slew of counts, including excessive force, assault and battery, negligence and violating his First, Fourth and Fifth amendment rights. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, plus attorneys’ fees.
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