A North Carolina man is suing the Town of Spruce Pine, its police chief, and three officers after they allegedly used excessive force during an incident in February 2024, where he was experiencing a medical emergency but was instead beaten, tased, and arrested by the police.
Dillon Ledford, the plaintiff, claims his constitutional rights were violated by the officers who failed to provide him with medical assistance and chose to escalate the situation rather than help him.
Medical Emergency Ignored by Police
On February 16, 2024, Dillon Ledford, around 30 years old at the time, was driving home from visiting his girlfriend in Spruce Pine. He stopped at the local Walmart to grab something to eat as his blood sugar dropped due to his long-standing diabetes.
According to Ledford’s lawsuit, after entering and exiting the store, he sat in his car feeling worse, with his condition visibly deteriorating. Walmart employees noticed that Ledford was “twitching” and had “buggy eyes” and called 911 for a welfare check.
By 9:10 p.m., officers Michael Sale and Dalton Mace arrived at the scene, followed by officer Michael Hollifield. Despite being nonverbal, Ledford’s condition was clear to the officers. The lawsuit states that at this point, the officers could have rendered medical assistance or called for help, but they chose not to. Instead, they allegedly told Ledford he was going to be arrested, leading to a violent confrontation.
Alleged Excessive Force and Assault
The officers are accused of using excessive force when arresting Ledford. The lawsuit claims the officers, in a “three-on-one assault,” physically removed Ledford from his vehicle, threw him to the ground, and proceeded to beat him.
While on the ground and unable to comply with the officers’ commands due to his medical distress, Ledford was allegedly struck at least 11 times by Officer Sale, causing severe pain and bruising. Officer Hollifield is accused of tasing Ledford twice.
The officers are said to have flipped Ledford onto his stomach and handcuffed him, even though he was not posing a threat to them or others, according to the lawsuit. The entire incident was reportedly captured on Walmart surveillance footage. Despite this, Ledford was not taken to a hospital but instead was transported to the Spruce Pine police headquarters.
Legal Charges and Damage to Career
Ledford was charged with second-degree trespassing and three counts of resisting a public officer. These charges reportedly hindered his ability to find employment and led to an internal affairs investigation, as Ledford was previously a law enforcement officer himself, having served as a K-9 officer with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections for about three years.
The charges against him were eventually dismissed after eight months, but Ledford is now seeking a jury trial and damages for physical, emotional, and mental harm, as well as reputational damage. The lawsuit also targets the officers’ supervisors, including Police Chief Kasey Cook, alleging that inadequate training and supervision contributed to the excessive force used during the incident.
Lack of Investigation and Accountability
Ledford’s lawsuit asserts that the town administrators and Police Chief Cook failed to investigate or discipline the officers involved in the incident. The lawsuit claims that an investigation would have revealed that the officers violated state and federal laws regarding the use of force. It argues that the force used was both excessive and unjustified given the circumstances of the medical emergency.
While Mitchell County District Attorney Seth Banks expressed concern over the officers’ refusal to administer medical assistance, he found insufficient evidence to charge anyone in the case. The town of Spruce Pine has yet to provide an official response to the lawsuit, as the town attorney stated they would review the case once they were formally served with the lawsuit.
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