The city of Jasper, Tennessee, and two of its police officers have formally answered a multimillion-dollar federal civil rights lawsuit filed by a man alleging he was assaulted during a 2023 arrest.
The seven-count lawsuit filed Aug. 2 in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga by Samuel “Sal” Hryncewiz seeks $1 million per count in compensatory and punitive damages. It alleges Hryncewiz, 54, of Dunlap, Tennessee, had his civil rights violated when he was arrested without probable cause and was the victim of excessive force when assaulted by two Jasper police officers who intended to cause him “severe emotional distress.”
Hryncewiz — whose name has been spelled “Samuel Hrynecwicz” in other documents and reports — was arrested Aug. 5, 2023, on two counts of assaulting an officer and one count of resisting arrest. The incident was recorded by the driver of the car, and the video was viewed thousands of times on social media. The driver was initially stopped for allegedly running a stop light and almost causing a collision with a patrol car, authorities said at the time.
The lawsuit said prosecutors eventually resolved charges filed against Hryncewiz. Court officials said an agreed order was signed April 4 by Circuit Court Judge Justin Angel for a conditional dismissal of charges with a review of the case set for Oct. 3.
(READ MORE: DA to review Jasper traffic stop after video shows officer punching passenger)