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An Adrian Woman is suing the Sylvania Township Police Department and two of its officers for $30 million over alleged excessive use of force.

Attorneys for Caitlin Taylor, of Adrian, Michigan, allege Officers Michael Wyatt and John Tanner used excessive force against her during a traffic stop when she pulled into the wrong driveway while delivering food. The lawsuit seeks $30 million in damages.

The complaint alleges one count of battery, one count of assault, one count of civil action for deprivation of rights, and one count of negligence.

“Defendants, in effecting Plaintiff’s unlawful arrest, intentionally, recklessly, or with deliberate indifference to Plaintiff’s constitutional rights, used excessive force, including but not limited to, shouting confusing commands, threatening arrest, pointing weapons at her, approaching Plaintiff with an un-holstered taser, attacking her, manhandling her, slamming her to the ground, choking her, and continuing to restrain her even after she implied she was willing to comply but was confused on why,” the lawsuit read.

The Sylvania Township Police Department told 13abc Township policy prohibits representatives with the department from commenting on pending litigation.

Attorneys for Taylor say officers did not properly inform her as to why they were approaching her. They also said she had the right to resist an “unlawful arrest or other unlawful action by the officers.”

“It actually seems that the officers not only forgot to show care regarding her rights, but also forgot she was a human being who deserved to be treated with dignity,” said Anthony Richardson, one of the attorneys representing Taylor. “At all times, the officers were acting under color of law, and the mental and emotional harm they’ve caused, without legal justification to do so, will be long or forever lasting for Mrs. Taylor and her family.”

Her lawyers went on to say that Taylor and her family are seeking punitive damages to punish “bad” officers and the department and to spark interest by the public to hold them accountable.

The lawsuit says the incident happened on June 5, 2020. Sylvania Township officers checked the vehicle registration and found that her tags were expired, but in Michigan, where Taylor lives, authorities were extending deadlines and not enforcing related laws because of the pandemic. Officer Tanner followed Taylor to a home in the 2300 block of Parliament Square where she was delivering groceries. She sat in the driveway after realizing she was at the wrong location within the driveway.

Dash camera footage shows the officer park his vehicle facing the driver’s side of Taylor’s vehicle. Taylor begins to back out of the driveway and an officer is heard on camera yelling commands at her. The lawsuit alleges Officer Tanner drew his gun and kneeled behind the vehicle door. The lawsuit says his instructions were contradictory and confusing, like asking Taylor to drop the keys out of the car’s window and raise her hands up at the same time.

The footage obtained by 13abc shows Taylor getting out of the car after the officer tells her to. She asks what was going on and why she was being stopped. The suit says Officer Tanner calls for help, allegedly switched from his firearm to his taser and approached Taylor. He tried to restrain her but still had not explained why he stopped her to begin with.

The lawsuit said that’s when Officer Tanner attacked, grabbed, manhandled, spun around and slammed Taylor to the ground. Taylor is heard repeatedly yelling for help on the footage, with the lawsuit describing her response as having been triggered due to past traumatic experiences. Taylor was arrested and did not receive a medical examination until after she was later released, the lawsuit says. She was bruised all over her body and bled from the tightness of her handcuffs.

The lawsuit alleges she quit her delivery job due to the trauma of the incident and was scared to get into a car for weeks.

“Plaintiff has experienced physical pain, mental anguish, humiliation, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and other non-pecuniary losses since her arrest,” the lawsuit reads in part.

Sylvania Township Police Chief tells 13abc he cannot comment on pending litigation. 13abc has also reached out to the individual officers named in the lawsuit for comment and have not heard back. 13abc learned on Friday attorneys for Sylvania Township Police filed a motion to dismiss the case in federal court, arguing the department itself cannot be sued as a separate entity under Ohio law. The individual officers named in the lawsuit have not yet responded in court filings.