In the aftermath of a mass shooting that marred the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade, an Olathe man has initiated a legal battle against Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett for defaming his character through widely circulated social media posts. The plaintiff, Denton Loudermill, found himself at the center of a whirlwind of misinformation when Rep. Burchett shared a photo on social media, wrongly identifying him as the “shooter” and an “illegal alien.”
Loudermill’s ordeal began on Valentine’s Day during the celebrations when, amid the chaos of gunfire that tragically claimed the life of local radio personality Lisa Lopez-Galvan and wounded several others, he was handcuffed by police for allegedly moving too slowly while trying to leave the area. Photos of him restrained on the curb quickly proliferated on social media, where he was mislabeled as the perpetrator.
Rep. Burchett, among others, perpetuated this false narrative. Screenshots from his social media account, as included in the lawsuit, show Burchett posting, “one of the shooters was identified as an illegal alien.” These claims were echoed across the internet, with one post being viewed over 7.2 million times and engaged with hundreds of thousands of times. Burchett later retracted his statements and deleted the posts, explaining on Feb. 19 that his accusations were based on “multiple, incorrect news reports.” However, his retraction did not specifically address the false claim that Loudermill was the shooter.
The repercussions for Loudermill were immediate and severe. He has faced death threats and has been subjected to mental anguish, anxiety, and sleep disruption, according to the lawsuit. His attorney elaborated on the distress caused by the false identification, which has exposed Loudermill to public scrutiny and is likely to inflict long-term damage.
In an attempt to repair the harm to his reputation and safeguard his well-being, Loudermill has requested compensation for damages, totaling at least $75,000, and a trial to address the invasion of privacy by painting him in a false light. His request comes as a response to the harm inflicted by the congressman’s actions, which Loudermill’s legal advocate claims caused significant emotional distress, humiliation, and inconvenience.
Legal action extends beyond the congressman. Loudermill and his legal team are considering a defamation lawsuit against all parties who amplified the misinformation on social media. The legal implications of sharing false content are clear, as each share constitutes a potential defamation claim.
Relevant articles:
– Olathe man wrongly identified as rally shooter files invasion of privacy lawsuit against Tennessee congressman
– Man files lawsuit against Congressman over accusations of being shooter at Chiefs rally, KCTV 5, Mon, 25 Mar 2024 18:03:00 GMT
– Man sues congressman after Chiefs parade shooter accusation posts, WDAF FOX4 Kansas City, Mon, 25 Mar 2024 20:46:50 GMT
– Man wrongly accused in KC shooting weighs defamation suit, demands Missouri senators apologize • Missouri Independent, Missouri Independent, Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT