Anders Swanson is seen in this file photo.The incident, which took place on Jan. 11, 2014, gained international notoriety due to the perceived clash of cultures between cyclists and the residents of the rural counties in which cyclists often conduct their training.
Swanson, who has asthma, was forced to call 911 after a Marion County teen pulled what appeared to be a water gun from inside an SUV and sprayed a solid stream of pepper spray into his face, according to Swanson's account.
The Chattanooga Police visited the homes of Taylor Sewell and Ryan Dinger, where the two boys confessed in front of their parents, according to the complaint. The two identified Hudson Bledsoe as the driver of the SUV that nearly ran Swanson off the road.
But criticism mounted when Marion County's investigating officer, Tim Prince, took over.
Price, despite having access to the boys' confessions made in front of their parents to Chattanooga police officers, instead told Swanson that it was he who was in trouble, and that the parents of the teens would be willing to drop three felony charges against Swanson - charges that Swanson maintains never existed -if he dropped his charges against the teens. Swanson did not take the deal, instead publicizing the offer on Facebook.
After a sustained public outcry, Marion County charged Taylor Sewell with delinquent assault and violating Tennessee's three-foot law, and charged Ryan Dinger with making an unreasonably harsh sound, while Hudson Bledsoe was not charged. The charges against Swanson - in which the teens' parents claimed he instigated the assault by reaching inside the boys' vehicle - were later dropped and expunged.
Sewell and Dinger were convicted and sentenced to minor probation and community service hours, according to the complaint made by Swanson.
In a news release, spokesperson Whitney Standefer said Swanson and his wife, Cathi Swanson, "hope this suit will mean better protection under the law for the whole outdoor community."
News report from the incident: