LAPLACE — Sheriff Mike Tregre said a recent lawsuit brought against his department lacked merit, adding a U.S. District Court ruling confirmed as much.

The Sheriff’s Office released a statement this week following the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Robert Townsend that targeted Tregre and Officer Sid Triche.

Townsend was arrested for aggravated assault on May 24, 2015, when he was 25, according to authorities.

“The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office welcomed the recent ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, which summarily dismissed the lawsuit stemming from the arrest of plaintiff Robert Townsend,” the statement read.

“From the outset, the Sheriff’s Office has contended that Mr. Townsend’s lawsuit lacked merit, and the federal court ruling confirms it — exonerating Deputy Sid Triche, Sheriff Mike Tregre and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office.”

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the lawsuit was dismissed Oct. 28, when the Court rejected claims brought forward by the plaintiff’s attorney and closed the case.

In the Court’s Order and Reasons, Milazzo determined there was probable cause for Townsend’s arrest, the Sheriff’s Office said.