Sullivan County Sheriff's Office sued for wrongful death related to 2024 BRMC incident
The 26-count suit alleges that officers mistook a mental health crisis for a drug-induced high and escalated their force against Matthew Stoddard in an initial encounter on May 21, 2024. As previously reported by News Channel 11, the married father of three from the Chattanooga area had taken his family away from their home, and they'd stopped and entered a home in Sullivan County without invitation to ask for directions.
The owners arrived and called 911, and eventually deputies arrested and handcuffed Stoddard.
Deputies took Stoddard to the Sullivan County Jail that night, and soon after transported him to BRMC. The next night, a sheriff's office report claimed, he tried to take an officer's weapon at the hospital. In the struggle that ensued and involved multiple deputies, Stoddard lost consciousness and never regained full awareness before dying at a Chattanooga medical facility on July 13.
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The lawsuit claims wrongful death, outrageous conduct and intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery and a host of other counts, including excessive force that violated multiple constitutional rights.
The suit points to what it says were four separate violations of Stoddard's Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights:
That deputies engaged in 'excessive tightening, tugging and jerking of Mr. Stoddard's handcuffs and ankle shackles which caused Mr. Stoddard to suffer from open wounds at the cites [sic] of his upper and lower extremities.'
That they mistreated a mentally disturbed Stoddard while he was in the back seat of a patrol car being taken to the jail, what the suit calls 'psychological torture' that also involved 'freezing out' by rolling the windows down at a high speed.
Treatment on arrival at the jail alleged to include punching, kicking, striking with fists, using shock devices and otherwise beating up Stoddard 'while he was handcuffed, held down, shackled, and in a restraint chair.'
The final alleged violation occurred at BRMC. A Sullivan County officer is alleged to have entered Stoddard's room, where two security guards were restraining him.
It claims the officer 'placed his knee on the upper back of Mr. Stoddard while attempting to secure Mr. Stoddard's arm' and that the pressure applied 'caused Mr. Stoddard to asphyxiate and die.'
According to the lawsuit, an autopsy report conducted by Emily Cook of the Jenkins Forensic Center said among the pathological diagnoses was 'complications of sudden cardiac arrest and anoxic brain injury in the setting of police restraint.'
That report, according to the lawsuit, determined Stoddard's death was caused by 'complications of sudden cardiac arrest and anoxic brain injury in the setting of police restraint, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and morbid obesity.' The lawsuit says the autopsy found the manner of death as homicide and that it 'identified that Mr. Stoddard became unresponsive after officers were attempting to restrain him while prone.'
Attorneys for the family include local lawyers Corey Shipley and Christopher Rogers, as well as Atlanta-based Eric Hertz. They offered the following statement:
'We chose to represent the Stoddards because this is a deeply troubling situation with a tragic outcome. Allegations of misconduct by law enforcement must always be taken seriously. When someone is found legally responsible for causing harm to another, they should be held accountable — regardless of their position or status in society.
'A society is ultimately judged by how the powerful treat the vulnerable. Everyone, no matter the circumstances, is entitled to the protection of their constitutional rights. The purpose of this lawsuit is to ensure that our clients' constitutional rights are upheld and that accountability is pursued where it is due.'
The suit was just filed Wednesday. Sullivan County Attorney Dan Street said he had no comment on the suit, but added that 'Sullivan County will defend itself and its officers.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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