Blacklidge v. Anderson

On August 20, 2025, in Springfield, Illinois, Marcus Blacklidge, a 22-year-old African American man, was pulled over for a broken tail light. Officer David Anderson and backup officers attempted to forcibly remove Blacklidge from his vehicle after he questioned the reason for the stop. Body-worn camera footage showed Anderson deploying a taser and applying a neck restraint during a physical struggle. Blacklidge lost consciousness and died at a local hospital. His mother, Cynthia Blacklidge, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Officer Anderson and the City of Springfield, alleging excessive force, wrongful death, and municipal failure to train. The incident ignited local protests demanding transparency and reform.

In March 2026, the City of Springfield agreed to a $4.5 million civil settlement with the Blacklidge family without admitting liability. Separately, Officer Anderson was indicted on state charges of involuntary manslaughter and official misconduct; those criminal proceedings remain pending as of June 2026.

Whether Officer Anderson used objectively unreasonable force, including a prohibited chokehold, in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and whether the City of Springfield maintained a custom of inadequate training that caused the constitutional deprivation.

The case amplified national calls for federal chokehold bans and stricter use-of-force standards. The Springfield Police Department revised its neck-restraint policy and mandated de-escalation training. The settlement also reinvigorated legislative debates in Illinois over reforming qualified immunity for police officers.