Tyler Canaris says his physical and mental health have taken a turn for the worse a year after a Paulding County deputy body slammed him. Now Canaris’ attorneys say the case should not end with a GBI investigation.
“You match the description of someone trying to break into people cars,” Paulding County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael McMaster could be heard saying on camera.
“Huh? I’m not breaking into anyone’s cars,” Canaris said right before the deputy grabbed him and threw him to the ground.
That is the controversial moment Tyler Canaris and his attorneys are claiming McMaster took things too far. The deputy’s car dash cam recorded the incident on March 4, 2022.
Before that moment, the deputy told Canaris to take his backpack off and put his hands behind his back.
Deputies say Canaris did not comply with those requests. In the dashcam video, Canaris asked why he was being arrested.
A week ago, Paulding County asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the incident.
“Without justification, he was detained, and body slammed,” one of Canaris’ attorneys said in a press conference held Monday. “Make no mistake about it, Tyler did nothing wrong. He was on his way to work.”
Canaris and his attorneys told reporters they believed Deputy McMaster should be held accountable for his actions.
“The county, we believe, has known or should’ve known that this is the kind of officer that does not have the right temperament to be on patrol,” a second attorney continued. “That played out in the incident with Tyler.”
For the first time, Canaris shared what that moment has done to him, both personally and professionally.
“After it happened, I had trouble walking to work and not thinking that there was a cop following me. At work, I can’t perform my duties like I used to,” he said.
Canaris’ attorneys said Tyler had a case against the deputy and the county.
According to the statement, “Deputy McMaster used force to bring Mr. Canaris to the ground and placed him under arrest.”
After the arrest, Canaris was reviewed by medics at the scene before being taken to the hospital.
The GBI has opened an official investigation at the request of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.
“The GBI received a request from the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, February 17, 2023, to investigate a use of force incident that happened on March 4, 2022,” the GBI said in a statement.
“By state law, the GBI can only initiate this type of investigation after a request from local law enforcement. GBI agents have opened an investigation, and it is active and ongoing.”
Additional details were requested from the Paulding County Solicitor-General’s Office.
“The Paulding County State Court and the Paulding County Solicitor’s Office opened on July 1, 2022. Our mission has been to move cases that have been backlogged during the COVID pandemic in a timely fashion.
On July 1st, this case along with thousands of other misdemeanor cases, were transferred to State Court from Superior Court. An accusation in this case was filed November 21, 2022. An arraignment was scheduled for December 15th, which was waived by Mr. Canaris’s attorney.
Discovery was sent out on December 28th and the video was picked up by his attorney’s office from our office on February 6, 2022,” said Luana P. Nolen, Solicitor-General of Paulding County, in a statement.
“As our office strives to expedite cases that have been holding during the pandemic, regrettably, it is not possible to review every video in every case. We are now aware of its contents and await the results of the GBI’s investigation.
The video involved in Mr. Canaris’s case was brought to my attention as it went viral. The following day, a GBI investigation was initiated into this matter.
I have no comment about any specific facts regarding what happened on March 4, 2022 during the pendency of the GBI’s investigation. Once the investigation is complete, we will re-evaluate Mr. Canaris’s case.”
An out of control Police Officer takes the wrong guy to Suplex City… pic.twitter.com/p1szZDED4o
— Fight Haven (@FightHaven) February 23, 2023