The latest court action brought by basketball star Dwyane Wade’s ex-wife has been tossed out by a federal judge, who ruled that suburban cops had probable cause to arrest her in 2012 on suspicion of attempted child abduction.
Siohvaughn Funches-Wade — who behaved increasingly erratically while losing a bitter and widely publicized child custody battle to the Miami Heat guard — had claimed in a lawsuit filed last year that her ex-husband’s divorce attorney and Dolton Police framed her to help Wade in his custody battle.
She also claimed that she was “violently attacked” by Dolton cops when she was arrested at her south suburban home in June 2012.
But though charges against Funches-Wade of resisting arrest and attempted child abduction were eventually dropped, U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan wrote in a ruling published Thursday that “the fact that no convictions resulted in the following criminal proceedings does not mean that the police lacked probable cause to arrest Funches-Wade.”
Wade’s attorney, James Pritikin, had called police to Funches-Wades’ house, accusing her of violating a family court judge’s visitation order by keeping her kids from her ex, who she grew up with in south suburban Robbins.
But Der-Yeghiayan ruled, “There are no facts that plausibly suggest that Pritikin was lying to the police on behalf of his client.”
Funches-Wade had claimed she suffered a torn rotator cuff, asthma attack and a panic attack because of her rough treatment during the arrest.
Before Wade was ordered to pay her $5 million and give her their former mansion in South Holland and four cars as part of their divorce settlement in 2013, Funches-Wade staged a widely publicized sit-down protest outside the Daley Center, holding a large handwritten sign with the words, “NBA Miami Heat star, mother of his children on the streets.”
She did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment Thursday.
