An ASU police detective who is the target of a recent civil lawsuit is no longer employed by the department, officials said.
As of last week, Darel Lasiter "no longer works for the ASU police department," said Lt. John Sutton. Sutton could not comment on the circumstances surrounding Lasiter's departure due to department policy.
Lasiter was named in a suit filed by John Batchan III, an Avondale man.
Batchan filed suit against the former detective and the state on Sept. 29, claiming that he was racially profiled when arrested by Lasiter last year on charges of loitering outside Sun Devil Stadium.
Batchan, who has scalped tickets for 12 years, is defending himself in the suit.
In the current lawsuit, Batchan cites the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 as the basis for his claim. The act enabled the president to intervene in states where the Klu Klux Klan actively engaged in violence against African-Americans.
According to the complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, Batchan alleged "a reasonable officer ... should have known, that [Batchan's] inoffensive presence on the ASU campus on or about the time of an ASU football game could not possibly violate the loitering statute."
The complaint also states that the "plaintiff was targeted for such wrongful conduct because of his [African-American] race," and the detective's actions were "intended to cause injury or were motivated by spite or ill will."
Batchan claims to have been involved in several other lawsuits against the police and sporting venues. A 2001 case in which Batchan sued the Mesa Sports Association was settled last April.
Reach the reporter at kelly.vaughn@asu.edu.
