Eric Pettway, the former police chief of Mount Vernon, Alabama, sued the town in federal court on November 20, 2025, one day after being removed from his job. The Eric Pettway lawsuit alleged he was fired in retaliation for complaining about unpaid overtime and included a separate claim that the mayor and a councilmember had directed him to write traffic tickets targeting white non-resident workers to raise revenue. The overtime case settled in May 2026 on undisclosed terms.1NBC 15. Ex-Mount Vernon Police Chief Settles Overtime Suit, Status of Ticket Quota Claims Unclear
What Pettway Alleged in Federal Court
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama as case number 1:25-cv-00474, naming the Town of Mount Vernon as defendant.2PACER Monitor. Pettway v Town of Mount Vernon Pettway is represented by Thomas Loper of Loper Law, LLC.3NBC 15. Former Police Chief’s Lawsuit Claims Racial Ticketing Directives From Mount Vernon Mayor
The core legal claim rested on the Fair Labor Standards Act. Pettway said the chief’s job required him to serve as a regular patrol officer in addition to leading the department, and that he worked 20 to 25 hours of overtime per two-week pay period without compensation. By July 2025, according to the suit, he had accrued nearly 190 hours of comp time. He sought $50,545 in back pay and an equal amount in damages, calculated from his $64,000 annual salary.3NBC 15. Former Police Chief’s Lawsuit Claims Racial Ticketing Directives From Mount Vernon Mayor
The Racial Ticketing Directive
The most closely watched piece of the complaint had nothing to do with hours. Pettway alleged that Mayor Eric Peoples, Councilmember James May, and other town officials directed him to “write traffic tickets, especially to White workers who do not live in the Town, in an effort to generate revenue for the town.”4Lagniappe Mobile. Ex-Chief Claims Town Targeted White Workers The non-resident drivers were reportedly commuting through Mount Vernon to steel plants north of town.3NBC 15. Former Police Chief’s Lawsuit Claims Racial Ticketing Directives From Mount Vernon Mayor Pettway and Peoples are both Black; Mount Vernon’s roughly 1,400 residents are about 69 percent Black and 25 percent white.5Census Reporter. Mount Vernon, AL
Loper acknowledged in early 2026 that the case was in the “early evidence gathering stage” and that no exhibits supporting the profiling claim had yet been filed.3NBC 15. Former Police Chief’s Lawsuit Claims Racial Ticketing Directives From Mount Vernon Mayor
Why Pettway Says He Was Fired
Pettway was hired as chief on May 29, 2024, and removed on November 19, 2025. He told reporters he was fired without explanation and never received a termination letter.6FOX 10. Mount Vernon Police Chief Fired His theory in the lawsuit is that the firing was retaliation for raising the unpaid-overtime complaints.3NBC 15. Former Police Chief’s Lawsuit Claims Racial Ticketing Directives From Mount Vernon Mayor
The termination also came three weeks after the October 28, 2025, public release of body-camera and surveillance footage showing Mount Vernon officer Newman Brazier tasing, pepper-spraying, and dragging a handcuffed man during a May 10, 2025, arrest. Pettway had publicly said Brazier’s actions violated the department’s use-of-force policy and alleged that Peoples knew about the incident immediately but blocked him from disciplining the officer.6FOX 10. Mount Vernon Police Chief Fired Pettway said town leadership gave him a “no-go on punishment-wise, on disciplinary-wise.”7FOX 10. Mount Vernon Police Officer in Leaked Body Cam Video Identified
The Town’s Response
Mount Vernon, through attorney Jay Ross, filed a response in federal court denying the allegations and demanding proof.4Lagniappe Mobile. Ex-Chief Claims Town Targeted White Workers Peoples characterized the departure differently than Pettway, saying Pettway was “not fired” but that he and the Town Council “came to an agreement to go in a different direction.”8FOX 10. Newman Brazier No Longer Working With Mount Vernon Police, Mayor Says Peoples declined further public comment, citing the pending litigation.3NBC 15. Former Police Chief’s Lawsuit Claims Racial Ticketing Directives From Mount Vernon Mayor
How the Case Ended
The federal court ordered both sides to meet in person by March 11, 2026, and file a status report by March 18. As of May 8, 2026, Pettway and Mount Vernon had settled the overtime lawsuit. The court record did not disclose the terms, and it was not clear whether the racial ticketing allegations were resolved as part of the deal.1NBC 15. Ex-Mount Vernon Police Chief Settles Overtime Suit, Status of Ticket Quota Claims Unclear
Pettway had also filed a separate lawsuit in Mobile County Circuit Court on December 19, 2025, alleging the town violated his employment agreement regarding a severance package. His attorney said that state-court case was likewise settled, with terms not publicly disclosed.4Lagniappe Mobile. Ex-Chief Claims Town Targeted White Workers