Chad Hunter Smith
A man on probation after admitting to possession of a controlled substance has filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming he was the victim of excessive force.
Hunter Chad Smith, 24, was arrested on April 13, 2023, after deputies responded to a trespassing call at the Walmart.
He’d left the store and deputies found him near the Best Buy where they sought to detain him and he resisted being handcuffed, according to court documents. Body camera video supplied by Smith in an email to The Record-Courier shows a deputy holding one arm out while two others are on top of him. The deputy holding his arm then used a taser.
Smith admitted to a drug possession charge and was sentenced Nov. 6 to a suspended 18-48 months in prison. Prosecutors said at the time that he had seven prior convictions including two felonies.
Sheriff Dan Coverley said he was aware of the lawsuit but could not comment.
