A Summit County man is suing the Sheriff's Office, former Sheriff Frank Smith, and the county government, claiming a deputy entered his garage without a warrant in late 2023, wrenched his arm while he was still buckled into his car, and then fabricated criminal charges against him.

Radu Dugala filed the civil complaint the week of Tuesday, July 21, in Third District Court, according to the Park Record. The case is assigned to Judge Richard Mrazik.

What the complaint alleges

Dugala had returned home from the grocery store when a deputy entered his garage without a warrant or probable cause, according to the complaint. The deputy had made no attempt to follow or pull over Dugala before he parked.

The deputy opened the passenger door and ordered Dugala out. When Dugala questioned why the deputy was in his garage, the deputy "responded with excessive force, wrenching (Dugala's) left arm across his body" while he was still wearing his seatbelt, the complaint states.

He was still buckled in.

The force allegedly tore tendons near Dugala's left elbow, causing lasting damage to his arm, shoulder, and elbow. The complaint states Dugala was "unarmed, compliant and posed no imminent threat" at the time.

Fabricated charges alleged

The lawsuit claims the deputy fabricated three charges against Dugala: willfully failing to obey an officer, interference with an arrest, and driving under the influence. The complaint says those charges were "terminated in" Dugala's favor "despite body camera evidence contradicting" the information.

However, court documents show Dugala separately pleaded guilty to impaired driving, a class B misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 48 hours of community service. The relationship between the three allegedly fabricated charges and the impaired driving conviction is not fully explained in available records.

What Dugala is seeking

Dugala is asking Judge Mrazik to award compensatory damages and attorney fees. He also wants an injunction requiring Summit County to implement lawful policies and training on the use of force.

The lawsuit alleges the county bears responsibility through "unlawful policies" and a "failure to train or supervise" deputies, claiming Dugala's injuries were "enabled by Summit County's deliberate indifference to proper training."

Sheriff's Office response

Sgt. Skyler Talbot with the Summit County Sheriff's Office said on Tuesday, July 28, that "the department is aware of the filing, but it had not been formally served as of Monday afternoon." He declined further comment, citing pending litigation.

Smith retired from the Sheriff's Office effective September 5, 2025, after a decade of service. Kacey Bates was sworn in as his successor on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Summit County government has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.

No hearing date or response deadline has been announced. The case remains in its earliest stages in Third District Court.