A man with a genetic disorder who was pulled over on April 17, 2019, by two Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies and treated like a drug suspect can proceed with his lawsuit against the county, a federal appeals court has ruled.
William Klaver, who was pulled over for a tinted-window violation, argues his constitutional right against unreasonable searches and seizures was violated. Attorneys for Deputy Tyler McRae and former Deputy Daniel Wilkey sought to have the case dismissed. When U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee denied their motion, the case was appealed to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the lower court ruling Thursday.
“We agree with the district court that the deputies violated clearly established Fourth Amendment law,” the 6th Circuit judges wrote.
Klaver is representing himself and does not specify the damages he is seeking in his lawsuit. But on his YouTube page, where he posts videos of his interactions with law enforcement, he said he is asking for $300 million.
Klaver, who has muscular dystrophy and served in the Marine Corps was pulled over shortly after 8 p.m. while traveling south into Chattanooga by Wilkey and McRae because the tint on his windows was “way too dark,” according to the judges’ opinion.