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One of the two

men stopped for littering in Tempe, Arizona and then asked to rap about the incident

for a local television show is suing the city for $500,000, claiming the segment

has done irreparable harm to his reputation. Louis

Baker and Robert Tarvain are the two African-American men who were stopped by

police sergeant Chuck Schoville last August in a shopping district in Tempe, when

he witnessed one of the men throw garbage out of his window. Sgt.

Schoville, who hosted a monthly local police show called Tempe Street Beat,

claims the men identified themselves as music industry professionals from

Chicago.He

said he asked the men to rap to build relationships with the local community and

that the men had previously agreed to pick up the items they had thrown out the

window. Baker,

who was shown rapping at Schoville’s request, claims the publicity surrounding

the incident has left him emotionally disturbed and has caused him to stutter.

"Mr.

Baker has been subject to ridicule by his co-workers and strangers, requesting

him to ‘rap’ when he leaves his home to go to the grocery store, restaurants or

just drive or walk in the community," Baker’s attorney Howard Schwartz wrote.

"Because of the general public’s behavior towards Mr. Baker, he has been

portrayed as a clown, which has caused him to become emotionally disturbed, reclusive

and embarrassed."Baker

is suing the city and the Tempe Police Department for intentional tort, emotional

impairment and mental impairment. The

episode featuring Baker rapping was aired over 20 times during Nov. 2006. The

Tempe Police Department has since pulled the plug on the show, which aired for

over 5 years, due to the controversy.