A man who claims Summit County sheriff’s deputies illegally entered his home and subjected him to excessive force has filed a lawsuit against the department for allegedly violating his constitutional rights.
Radu Dugala filed the complaint last week in Third District Court. Dugala has a lengthy criminal history in the area, with charges dating back to 1995. Most recently, Dugala was arrested and charged for his reported involvement in a domestic violence incident in April on Bobsled Boulevard, in which he barricaded himself inside a home and fled from law enforcement officials, according to a probable cause statement.
The lawsuit alleged a deputy illegally entered Dugala’s home, subjected him to excessive force and unlawfully detained him without probable cause in late 2023. It claims Dugala has experienced “severe physical and emotional injuries” because of the incident, which were “enabled by Summit County’s deliberate indifference to proper training.”
The complaint named the deputy, former Sheriff Frank Smith, the county government and the Sheriff’s Office as defendants.
The document stated Dugala had returned home from the grocery store when the deputy “attacked” him in his garage, with the complaint specifically noting the deputy had made no attempts to follow or pull over Dugala before he parked his car. The deputy did not have a warrant or probable cause to initiate the interaction, the lawsuit said.
The deputy reportedly opened Dugala’s passenger door and ordered him to exit the vehicle. Dugala expressed his shock over the “intrusion” and asked why the deputy was in his garage, which is when the deputy “responded with excessive force, wrenching (Dugala’s) left arm across his body” while he was still wearing his seatbelt. The action allegedly caused “a tear in his left arm tendons near the elbow,” according to the complaint.
Dugala at the time was “unarmed, compliant and posed no imminent threat,” the document said, adding that the injury caused “lasting damage” to Dugala’s arm, shoulder and elbow, “as well as emotional distress, medical expenses and economic losses.”
The lawsuit claimed the deputy “fabricated charges” against Dugala, including willfully failing to obey an officer, interference with an arrest and driving under the influence “despite body camera evidence contradicting” the information.
The complaint said those charges were “terminated in” Dugala’s favor, seemingly indicating the counts had been dropped. However, court documents show Dugala pleaded guilty to impaired driving, a class B misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 48 hours of community service.
Dugala requested relief for the department’s alleged use of excessive force, illegal entry into his garage, illegal detention, malicious prosecution and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit also demanded relief based on the county’s “unlawful policies” and “failure to train or supervise” deputies.
Dugala asked Third District Judge Richard Mrazik to grant him compensatory damages and attorneys fees in addition to an injunction “requiring Summit County to implement lawful policies and training on the use of force.”
Sgt. Skyler Talbot with the Sheriff’s Office said the department is aware of the filing, but it had not been formally served as of Monday afternoon. He declined to comment on the matter further, citing pending litigation.