SANFORD, Fla. — A man who was held at gunpoint and then shocked with a Taser by two Seminole County deputies is now filing a civil lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Office, claiming the deputies violated his civil rights.
Deputies Erik Ducharme and Chris Clutter have since been fired over the incident, but both are petitioning to get their jobs back.
Robert Wilds was driving a black vehicle with tinted windows when he was pulled over in Sanford because the deputies suspected he was not wearing a seat belt.
Dashboard videos from the deputies’ patrol car show both deputies immediately jump out of their squad cars with guns drawn. Clutter grabs a shotgun from the trunk and points it at Wilds as Ducharme drags Wilds from the car.
“(They) had no rights at the time, whatsoever,” Wilds said. “Might as well had been a stray dog on the streets that the dog catchers just got.”
Video then shows Clutter pointing the gun at Wilds as Wilds was being shot with a Taser.
Wilds was initially charged with resisting arrest with violence, but prosecutors dropped the charges after they saw the video.
“They unlawfully arrested me, unlawfully stopped me, and the force they use, can I say back in the 60s, 70s, police brutality, isn’t necessary,” said Wilds.
Wilds’ attorney, Shayan Modarres, believes what happened to his client might have gone unnoticed if it weren’t for the dashcam video.
Modarres said the case is stronger because both officers were fired, which means even the sheriff believes they went too far.
“It’s an egregious case of police misconduct. They clearly had it out for him,” said Modarres.
Wilds said he believes he might have been a target for officers because he served time for armed robbery.
A spokesperson for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said it is aware of the lawsuit and has no comment because of the pending litigation.The Modarres Law Firm Files Suit Against Seminole County Sheriffs For Excessive Force
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