In 1986, Deputy Ray Sowers unlawfully detained and physically assaulted Ed Rodius. Sowers stopped Rodius without probable cause, choked him, pulled his hair, threw him to the ground, and rubbed his face on the gravel. Rodius was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, but the charges were eventually dismissed. A jury found Sowers and the Mason County Sheriff’s Office liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, awarding damages to Rodius and other plaintiffs. The court held that the Sheriff’s Office’s failure to adequately train its officers constituted deliberate indifference to the safety of its inhabitants.
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