MADISON COUNTY, Ind. — A city official from Anderson has been sued by a man after he allegedly pointed a gun at him and called him a racial slur during a mid-August incident.
According to court documents, filed on Oct. 6 in the Madison County Circuit Court, Robert L. Hendricks is suing Fredrick Greg Spencer for civil assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
This comes after Spencer was criminally charged in relation to the incident on Aug. 23 in Anderson. Court documents state that Spencer was charged with one count of intimidation where the defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony, as well as a misdemeanor related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Spencer reportedly pointed a firearm at Hendricks and called him a racial slur after Hendricks confronted Spencer about getting into his car at a gas station in Anderson, according to previous reports. Spencer serves as the president of the Anderson Plan Commission and is a member of the Anderson Board of Zoning Appeals.
According to the civil complaint, Hendricks was fueling his vehicle. When Hendricks was inside the gas station, he noticed Spencer allegedly entering his vehicle. When Hendricks called out to Spencer that he was in his vehicle, Spencer reportedly replied, claiming that Hendricks’ vehicle was his and told him to back away.
“Fearful that his vehicle was about to be stolen, Mr. Hendricks continued toward his vehicle,” the complaint read. At that time, Mr. Spencer pulled a revolver-style handgun from his pants pocket, pointed it at Mr. Hendricks’ head, and stated, ‘I’ll shoot you in the head n—–.’ Mr. Hendricks was immediately fearful of being shot by Mr. Spencer who appeared to be visibly intoxicated, so he backed away.”
The complaint said that Spencer “eventually realized” he was in the wrong vehicle and exited. Spencer was then arrested by police after a traffic stop soon after after a loaded firearm was reportedly recovered.
“In pulling a loaded firearm and pointing it toward Mr. Hendricks’ head, Mr. Spencer committed a civil assault upon Mr. Hendricks,” the complaint alleges, “as he acted with intent to cause harmful or offensive contact with Mr. Hendricks… At the time Mr. Spencer made the statement, he possessed the apparent ability to cause harm in that he was pointing a loaded firearm at Mr. Hendricks’ head.”
The lawsuit claims that Spencer’s actions caused Hendricks to suffer physical, financial, mental and emotional damage. The lawsuit also called Spencer’s conduct “extreme and outrageous” and that conduct “intentionally or recklessly caused (him) to suffer emotional distress.”
A hearing in Spencer’s criminal case is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 28, according to court documents in Madison County.
