ADRIAN, Mich. (AP) - A lawsuit can proceed against a beefy sheriff's officer who tackled a smaller Lenawee County man, breaking his pelvis and ribs, while investigating a crime - at the wrong house.
A federal appeals court says a jury could "reasonably conclude" that Sgt. Jacob Pifer used excessive force against Ralph Pelton in 2015.
Pifer and another officer were investigating a report of domestic violence involving a gun.
Pelton pulled his arm away from Pifer while confronting the officers on his front porch. That's when the 320-pound sergeant tackled Pelton and broke his bones. Pelton wasn't armed.
It turned out that the officers were at the wrong address. They said they were relying on information from an informant in an emergency.
Published: Tue, Apr 24, 2018
