City police innocent of excessive force

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ELLIJAY, Ga. – The city of Ellijay is officially done with a lawsuit claiming excessive force and a failure to render aid in a June 2015 arrest of 46-year-old Terry Cantrell.

Exonerated in a federal district court, the officer in question, Trevor McClure, was one of the three-part defendants in the case alongside Police Chief Edward Lacey and the city of Ellijay.

During the arrest, Cantrell fled from a traffic stop on River Street before traveling onto North Avenue and proceeding further down McCutchen Street and continuing into an open field where he wrecked his truck in a ditch.

According to the filing by Cantrell, the police attempted to stop his vehicle as he was driving. As the filing states, he left his vehicle, proceeding on foot. With the officers in pursuit, Cantrell’s lawsuit claimed he suddenly threw his hands up to surrender and was tackled to the ground, at which point his head struck the pavement.

In the police report, the story was corroborated in that he fled from the ditch on foot traveling down McCutchen Street and into and out of the field. The police report also confirmed Cantrell was tackled with a shoulder tackle by Officer McClure. Cantrell also claimed that as he fled police and was tackled, he was unconscious on the ground and was later put on life-flight to Atlanta Medical Center. Allegations of him being in a coma and needing medical supervision were also put forth.

FetchYourNews previously reported on the lawsuit as well as the police report filed on the incident.

In the presiding Judge Richard Story’s ruling, the use of force was deemed “reasonable” in the course of the officers’ actions. Repeatedly ignored commands to stop by officers was noted as well as McClure’s use of physical force to restrain Cantrell instead of firing a weapon or taser.

As reported in earlier articles, Cantrell had beer cans in the vehicle. He also registered a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.139 according to GBI Crime Lab results by Gas Chromatography.

However, most of the claim against Ellijay and its police officers centered on the injury sustained during the tackle. When Cantrell returned to the paved road, McCutchen Street, he threw his hands up to surrender. Taking note of the location, Story’s ruling decided the location was just as much a part of the injury as the method of take-down.

Despite the allegations, the city of Ellijay and its Police Department are moving past the lawsuit today being released from any wrong-doing in the execution of their duties in the arrest. It releases them from the claims for medical expenses amounting over $350,000.

1 Comment

  1. ghost driller April 2, 2018 at 8:47 am

    There you go he can just continue to bully people and get a pat on the back for it

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