Kyle Chrisley sues Tennessee county and police for $1.7M, claims false arrest and excessive force
In court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, attorneys for the Chrisleys claim the couple were "terrorized in their own home" the afternoon of Sept. 9, 2024, and then "punished for calling for help."
According to the lawsuit, 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."
Kyle and the mechanic - who had done work on the Chrisleys' car and was allegedly paid in full - got into a physical altercation outside their home in Tennessee over a monetary dispute.
The "Chrisley Knows Best" star allegedly "shoved back in self-defense and the two men pushed each other out of the garage and down the driveway," the lawsuit states.
Ashleigh, who was "fearing for her family's safety," called the police 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 mechanic allegedly returned to the neighborhood shortly thereafter and continued to terrorize the Chrisleys, with neighbors looking on.
According to a neighbor's security camera footage, the mechanic yelled, "Kyle, come get in front of my car so I can run your b---- ass over."
Once police arrived, the disgruntled mechanic allegedly claimed that Kyle "stabbed him with a knife." A neighbor claimed they did not see a weapon of any sort.
Kyle "denied the allegation, explaining Moore was the aggressor, had trespassed, frightened his family, threatened to kill him, initiated physical contact, rammed the SUV, and returned attempting to run him over."
"When deputies from the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office arrived, they didn't arrest the man who caused the chaos," the lawsuit states. "Instead, they arrested Kyle Chrisley, and ignored clear evidence that he was the victim, not the aggressor. Deputies disregarded eyewitnesses, overlooked available video footage, and ignored Tennessee's self-defense law."
When Kyle's wife pulled out her phone to begin recording the authorities' behavior, she was allegedly "threatened with arrest and ordered to stop."
Authorities allegedly "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 states.
According to the Chrisleys' filing, they decided to "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."
"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 Fox News Digital.
A representative for the Rutherford County's Sheriff's office told Fox News Digital they will not be commenting on the lawsuit.
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