NEED TO KNOW
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Kyle Chrisley and his wife, Ashleigh, filed a lawsuit against Rutherford County and two sheriff deputies for $1.7 million over his aggravated assault arrest in September 2024
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“Our hopes for this lawsuit are accountability and change because no family should have to endure what the Chrisley family endured in this terrifying scenario,” his attorney said in a statement to PEOPLE
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The arrest comes nearly three months after Kyle’s parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, were pardoned by President Donald Trump
Kyle Chrisley and his wife, Ashleigh, are suing Rutherford County and two sheriff deputies for nearly $2 million over his September 2024 aggravated assault arrest.
In court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the attorneys for the Chrisley Knows Best star, 33, and his wife claim he was unfairly arrested and “punished for calling for help.”
“Our hopes for this lawsuit are accountability and change because no family should have to endure what the Chrisley family endured in this terrifying scenario,” Kyle’s lawyer, Wesley Clark of Brazil Clark, PLLC, said in a statement to PEOPLE.
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department
Kyle Chrisley’s mugshot
The lawsuit alleges on Sept. 9, 2024, that “a disgruntled mechanic, angry over a payment dispute, showed up uninvited, kicked at their doors, threatened violence, and used his car as a weapon by ramming their SUV and nearly running Kyle over in front of multiple neighbors.”
Deputies from the Rutherford County Sheriff “didn’t arrest the man who caused the chaos,” the lawsuit claims. “Instead, they arrested Kyle Chrisley, and ignored clear evidence that he was the victim, not the aggressor.”
Authorities allegedly “disregarded eyewitnesses, overlooked available video footage, and ignored Tennessee’s self-defense law.”
The filing claims that Kyle and Ashleigh “bring this lawsuit because no family should face criminal charges or threats of arrest for defending themselves at home or for exercising their constitutional rights. This is a case about false arrest, excessive force, and retaliation for trying to hold police officers accountable.
Amid a physical altercation with the mechanic, Kyle allegedly “shoved back in self-defense and the two men pushed each other out of the garage and down the driveway,” the lawsuit states.
The filing indicates that Kyle did not “brandish or use a knife” at any point amid the disagreement.
Ashleigh called 911 after the mechanic allegedly “intentionally reversed into [her] parked SUV, smashing and damaging her vehicle” and “performed two 360-degree spins while flinging topsoil into the air, and sped away toward the neighborhood exit,” the lawsuit states.
When authorities arrived at the family’s home, they allegedly informed Kyle that the mechanic claimed he “stabbed him with a knife,” which Kyle denied. A neighbor claimed they didn’t see a knife.
Despite alleged evidence against the mechanic, Kyle was arrested for aggravated assault, the lawsuit claims. The sheriffs “threw Chrisley to the ground, placed knees on his back, and handcuffed him despite the fact that Chrisley used no force against the officers and did not otherwise resist.”
The lawsuit alleges the sheriffs “recognized” Kyle as “a member of the Chrisley family, who are widely known from the reality television series Chrisley Knows Best and associated public controversies.”
The filing claims that the sheriffs “appeared eager to arrest Chrisley, treating the encounter as an opportunity to make headlines by arresting a well-known figure.” Kyle’s arrest was allegedly “motivated in part by animus toward [Kyle] based on his notoriety, past public controversies, or perceived privilege, rather than on the facts or law surrounding” the incident.
“The false arrest and excessive force violated Chrisley’s Fourth Amendment rights, causing physical injury, emotional distress, and deprivation of liberty,” the lawsuit claims.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office does not comment on lawsuits.
The lawsuit states that Kyle suffered humiliation and damage to public reputation, pain and suffering, mental suffering and emotional distress, and economic losses due to the arrest.
Attorneys are requesting a jury trial and $1.7 million in damages in addition to attorney fees.
The criminal case against Kyle is still pending.
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Kyle was previously arrested for alleged felony aggravated assault in March 2023 following a physical altercation with a supervisor while working a truck rental company in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Tommy Garcia/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Savannah Chrisley, Todd Chrisley, Chase Chrisley, Grayson Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Kyle Chrisley and Lindsie Chrisley
The lawsuit comes nearly three months after Kyle’s parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, were pardoned by President Donald Trump.
The pardons put an end to a legal saga, which led to the pair being indicted on 12 counts of bank and wired fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy and later convicted and sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison in November 2022 (though that number was reduced by around two years each in September 2023).
They immediately began appealing their case, and while Todd’s appeal was upheld, Julie’s was initially granted due to insufficient evidence. However, a judge later ruled that her original punishment was sufficient.
Read the original article on People
