The Jake Kidder lawsuit stems from a September 14, 2024, arrest at a St. Clair County, Michigan car wash, where an off-duty officer reported a drug transaction that deputies could not corroborate after searching Kidder and his truck. He was charged with four felonies anyway, and in May 2025 the Michigan Court of Appeals denied his attempt to challenge the case before trial. The charges remain pending.1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs2Justia. People of Michigan v. Jason Lee Kidder, No. 375604
What Happened at the Car Wash
Kidder was washing his truck while his friend and co-worker Ronnie Heinz, who is Black, washed a Cadillac in a nearby stall. An off-duty officer identified only as “Stocker” called St. Clair County sheriff’s deputies and reported watching Heinz hand Kidder “a baggie full of white stuff.” Kidder told the responding deputies the item was a cigarette, and Heinz said the same. Heinz offered to let deputies search his Cadillac. They declined and instead told Kidder they had probable cause to search his truck based on the off-duty officer’s tip.1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs
A verbal dispute followed. Body camera footage shows officers ordering Kidder to keep his hands up while he sat in the vehicle, and then pulling him out and taking him to the ground.1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs
The Search Turned Up Nothing
Deputies searched Kidder and his truck. They found no drugs. The footage captured their frustration at coming up empty. One officer warned Kidder he would be “stripped down buck naked” at the jail if he was hiding anything. Another told him, “I ain’t playing no more.”1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs
The deputies also muted their body cameras twice during the encounter, once for roughly 20 minutes and once for about 10 minutes. The footage does not explain why.1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs
The Charges
Kidder was booked into St. Clair County on four felonies: three counts of assaulting, battering, resisting, or obstructing a police officer, and one count of possession of methamphetamine or ecstasy.1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs
The drug possession count is the odd one. Officers documented finding no controlled substances on Kidder or in his vehicle, and the available reporting does not identify what evidence prosecutors are relying on to support that charge. No charges were filed against Ronnie Heinz, the friend the off-duty officer originally accused of making the handoff.1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs
Where the Case Stands
Kidder filed an application for leave to appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals, trying to knock the case out before trial. On May 28, 2025, the panel denied the application for “lack of merit in the grounds presented.” The court did grant his motion to waive filing fees, indicating he qualified for a fee waiver on financial grounds.2Justia. People of Michigan v. Jason Lee Kidder, No. 375604
With the appeal denied, the prosecution continues in the trial court. All four felony charges remain pending as of mid-2025.
One boundary worth flagging: the reporting describes a criminal case brought by the state against Kidder. There is no civil lawsuit by Kidder against St. Clair County or its deputies in the available record. The word “lawsuit” attaches to this story only in the loose sense of an active court fight.
How Kidder Is Fighting Back
Kidder launched a GoFundMe to pay for a private attorney, writing that he was defending against “a violation of my constitutional rights” and alleging that in St. Clair County “law enforcement and judges [are] all on the same team.” The campaign does not name a lawyer.3GoFundMe. Help Jason Kidder Fight for Justice
The body camera footage circulated online after the arrest and drew coverage from outlets focused on civil rights and police accountability, which is how the case reached a national audience.1Atlanta Black Star. Black Man in Cadillac Hands White Man Cigarette, Cops Claim It Was Drugs