GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - A Pitt County man who says he suffers from epilepsy is suing a state trooper, claiming he punched the man in the face and dragged him across gravel and concrete after a car crash in Greenville.
Emancipate NC filed a federal civil rights lawsuit today against Sgt. Ashley Smith, who is stationed in Pitt County.
The lawsuit claims that on May 25th of last year, Thomas Simmons had a crash on Highway 33 caused by an epileptic seizure. His car sideswiped another vehicle and crashed into a utility pole.
It claims that Smith knew Simmons had a seizure. “Instead of helping him, he punched him in the face, purportedly to ‘render aid.’ Sgt. Smith’s actions were senseless,” said Ian Mance, senior counsel at Emancipate NC. “Mr. Simmons posed no threat, and there was no justification for his use of force, which was cruel, discriminatory, and caused Thomas serious injury.”
The lawsuit says the trooper accused Simmons of being on meth and charged with with assault on a government official and resisting an officer. Those charges were dropped nearly a year later by the District Attorney’s Office when Simmons’ lawyers said they were taking the case to trial.
It is seeking damages, claiming Smith used excessive force, malicious prosecution, disability discrimination, and battery.
https://www.witn.com/2025/09/23/disable ... e-trooper/