Key Takeaways
- Maddox Adam Livingston filed a lawsuit against the New Roads Police Department after his wrongful arrest for possessing a firearm that was not stolen.
- Livingston was stopped for minor violations and voluntarily disclosed his firearm, but officers mistakenly flagged it as stolen due to an error in the database inquiry.
- He was jailed for about 24 hours before the District Attorney dropped charges after confirming the firearm’s legal status.
- The lawsuit claims false arrest and seeks damages for loss of liberty, emotional distress, and demands proper police training on firearm verification.
- This case underscores the importance of accurate law enforcement practices in upholding civil rights related to firearm possession.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
NEW ROADS, LA – A Pointe Coupee Parish man has filed a lawsuit against the New Roads Police Department and two of its officers after he was arrested and jailed for possessing a firearm that was later confirmed not to be stolen.
According to the petition filed in the 18th Judicial District Court, Maddox Adam Livingston was stopped on February 3, 2026, for minor equipment violations. The stop involved a burned headlight and a burned license plate light.
The lawsuit states Livingston was lawfully operating a 1994 Chevrolet K-2500 pickup truck registered to his father at the time of the stop.
During the encounter, Livingston cooperated with officers and voluntarily disclosed that a firearm was present in his vehicle.
Officers Kyle Powell and Quincy Lathers seized the firearm and conducted a database inquiry through the National Crime Information Center and the Louisiana Law Enforcement Telecommunications System to determine its status.
The lawsuit alleges that the officers mistakenly ran the firearm’s patent number instead of its serial number. As a result, the firearm was flagged as potentially stolen.
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Based on that database result, Livingston was arrested for illegal possession of a stolen firearm. He was handcuffed, transported to jail, booked, and incarcerated for approximately 24 hours.
The petition states that Livingston repeatedly told officers the firearm was legally possessed and not stolen.
Maddox Adam Lawsuit by wafb.channel9
On February 4, 2026, the District Attorney’s Office for the 18th Judicial District formally refused all charges against Livingston after verifying that the firearm was not stolen and that no crime had been committed.
The lawsuit alleges the officers lacked probable cause to make the arrest and that the detention was unlawful. It claims false arrest and false imprisonment under Louisiana law.
Livingston is seeking damages for loss of liberty, mental anguish, emotional distress, embarrassment, and other related harms. The petition does not specify a dollar amount.
The suit also alleges the New Roads Police Department failed to properly train and supervise the officers regarding probable cause requirements and the correct procedures for verifying whether a firearm is stolen before making a felony arrest.
In addition, the filing claims that body-worn camera footage from the incident has not been turned over.
Livingston is also seeking a complete expungement of any records related to the arrest from multiple state and federal databases.
For lawful gun owners, this case highlights the serious consequences that can follow even minor errors in firearm verification procedures.
The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental civil right. With that right comes the responsibility of law enforcement to ensure that arrests involving firearms are supported by accurate information and lawful probable cause.
When legal firearm possession is mistakenly treated as a felony offense, the impact on an individual’s liberty and reputation can be immediate and long lasting.
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