SPRINGFIELD, Mich. — A man is suing two deputies involved in his January 2021 arrest while collecting signatures to start a tenant's association in his former apartment complex, with deputies claiming at the time that he needed a permit to do so.
La'Ron Marshall says he had already collected about 100 signatures in the Wynd Tree Townhouses complex by the time two Calhoun County Deputies showed up to question him.
He wanted to start a sort of "neighborhood watch" style group, after one of his family's cars was broken into a month prior.
At the doorstep of a woman named Kimberly Totzke, the two Calhoun County Deputies who are named in the lawsuit, Francisco Rosado and Nick Hamilton, show up and begin asking Marshall if he had a permit for "soliciting".
The deputies try and get Marshall to hand over his identification, but he doesn't.
Marshall continues to ask, "why?" and "what am I soliciting?" in a Ring doorbell video that caught part of the exchange.
Totzke pulled out her cell phone as it was happening and recorded as police handcuffed Marshall and brought him to their cruiser.
There is a short physical altercation as the deputies and Marshall are near the cruiser.
According to the lawsuit filed, "The defendants forcibly and unnecessarily shoved the unresisting Mr. Marshall into the back of his police cruiser, and they then slammed the car door on Mr. Marshall’s feet twice, and they bruised his head, legs, and wrists."
Two of Marshalls minor children were also walking around the complex collecting signatures, and were there when their father was arrested.
Totzke ends up helping the kids get back to their mom.
Marshall's legal team alleges in the suit that he continues " to suffer shock, humiliation, embarrassment, fear, emotional distress, trouble finding employment, economic losses, worry about his children, physical pain, physical injuries, inconvenience, anger, a loss of enjoyment of life, a loss of self esteem and other damages," stemming from what happened.
Marshall is seeking compensation for his injuries and punitive damages. One of the deputies involved in the case was later terminated by the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office for unrelated reasons.
