Excessive force claim against Pontiac policeman is dismissed
Mitch Hayden drove away from the scene of a collision after he rear-ended another car. The other driver phoned police and Officer Dwight Green identified Hayden's damaged car under the canopy of a local hospital ER entry. When Green approached the vehicle, Hayden attempted to drive away and Green forcibly pulled him from the vehicle. On video of the arrest, Green was shown hesitating between returning the Hayden vehicle to "park" and keeping Hayden subdued on the ground. Ultimately, he thrust Hayden back to the pavement by Hayden's shirt collar.
Green did not arrest Hayden and ultimately drove him home. His "thanks" was an excessive force lawsuit. After reviewing the video from the patrol car, the Court dismissed Hayden's suit, holding that the force he exerted on Hayden was reasonable under the circumstances. Taking into account the circumstances as perceived by the officer at the time, Green's actions did not violate the Fourth Amendment governing reasonable searches and seizures.