Cops beat and tased a man having diabetic emergency instead of helping, lawsuit claims

ASHEVILLE, NC — A North Carolina man has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Spruce Pine police officers of beating, tasing, and arresting him while he was experiencing a diabetic medical emergency and unable to communicate.

Dillon Randall Ledford filed the lawsuit on June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, naming the Town of Spruce Pine, Police Chief Kasey Cook, and officers Michael Keith Hollifield, Michael Ethan Sale, and Dalton Hunter Mace as defendants. The suit claims violations of Ledford’s constitutional rights, federal law, and state law stemming from a February 2024 incident.

On February 16, 2024, Ledford, then 30, was driving home after visiting his girlfriend when his blood sugar dropped dangerously low. According to the complaint, he pulled into a Walmart parking lot in Spruce Pine to get food. Unable to speak or respond due to the medical emergency, Ledford alleges that responding officers instead mistook his condition for noncompliance.

Officers accused of excessive force

Rather than provide medical assistance, the officers allegedly used force against Ledford, including beating and tasing him, before arresting him. The complaint claims the officers’ actions were excessive and violated Ledford’s rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Ledford’s lawsuit states that “the conduct of the individual police officers, their supervisors, and the Town of Spruce Pine violated the Plaintiff’s constitutional rights, as well as federal and state law.”

The 58-page complaint also includes claims against Police Chief Cook in both his individual and official capacities, while the three officers are sued individually. Ledford has requested a jury trial.

Case proceeds in federal court

The lawsuit, filed under docket number 1:25-cv-00165, is now pending before the Asheville Division of the federal district court. Detailed allegations about the incident and the officers’ conduct are contained within the court filing.

As of Wednesday, neither the Town of Spruce Pine nor any of the officers named in the lawsuit have issued public statements regarding the allegations.

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