Dash-cam footage of a violent encounter went viral on YouTube and Reddit after the deputy involved was sued and fired. 

The Footage

In the video, 30-year-old Tyler Lee Canaris was walking to get picked up for work when a police officer named Michael McMaster stopped him. The situation quickly escalated when McMaster starts to detain Canaris with no explanation.

McMaster can be heard threatening Canaris, saying that he needed to take off his backpack before he “ends up on the ground”. McMaster told Canaris that he matched the description of a suspect who broke into multiple cars, but Canaris tried to deny the accusations. This was when the officer body-slammed Canaris and threw him to the ground. Another deputy, identified as Thomas Ogden, handcuffed Canaris and dragged him away.

Consequences of the Incident

Canaris was charged with obstruction of justice for failing to comply with the police officer. He suffered a fractured skull, concussion, and ruptured eardrum due to the incident. He was also diagnosed with a severe brain injury. Along with the misdemeanor charge, Canaris has “pins in his shoulders that will be with him for the rest of his life”.

After the dash-cam footage surfaced on the internet, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was asked to look into what happened that night. McMaster was consequently placed on desk duty. Months later, Canaris filed a lawsuit against McMaster and Paulding County.

Attorneys accused McMaster of arresting Canaris with no probable cause. The lawsuit alleges that McMaster made “false and misleading statements”. Canaris stated how detrimental the incident was on his psychological and physical health.

“Sometimes I feel like a cop is following me. I can’t perform my duty the way I used to.”

Tyler Canaris in a statement to the court

A History of Violence

McMaster blamed his actions due to fear and the lack of vision. McMaster said that he did not search Canaris for any weapons. He believed Canaris was reaching for a weapon in his waistband when he was turning around to face the officer. McMaster wrote in the arrest report, “I escorted him to the ground to get better control of him.”

McMaster had a history of being aggressive and violent. In 2015, his supervisors reprimanded him for aggressive behavior towards an inmate. His file shows that he was written up at least ten times. 

“Once reviewing his file, we recognized that the deputy can be unnecessary, overly aggressive and handling situations.”

Attorney Sean Williams

Attorney Sean Williams said that before the footage was released, McMaster only got a warning about his harsh language and the audio equipment on his car. After the video went viral, McMaster was fired. The police department states that he was fired due to policy violations and had nothing to do with the incident regarding Canaris.