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Couple filing federal lawsuit against Charlotte County S.O. after traffic stop ends in hospital trip

Sandra Corbin
Posted at 6:29 PM, Jun 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-02 19:58:35-04

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — A Port Charlotte family said they'll file a federal lawsuit Monday saying, in part, a Charlotte County Sheriff’s Deputy used excessive force during a 2019 traffic stop.

The Sheriff's office said they do not comment on pending litigation.

Sandra Corbin says she'll allege, when she files Monday, during a November 2019 traffic stop ending at a McDonald's parking lot off McCall Road in Englewood.

Sandra and her husband John say the deputy's excessive force violated Sandra's fourth amendment rights.

The Corbins said after a night at the Sandbar, deputies suspected her husband John had been drinking and driving and pulled him over.

Charlotte County Deputy Aaron Williams's arrest report says Sandra Corbin began yelling, eventually getting out of the car and saying they were having her husband, John, "do too much," during his sobriety check.

When Sandra did not get back in the car, Deputy Williams writes about “leg sweeping” Sandra and then handcuffing her.

The couple's lawyer, Rawsi Williams, said that the deputy broke Sandra's leg and fractured her tibia.

This is an injury that Sandra said, even two years later, keeps her mostly dependent on a wheelchair and off the dance floor.

"We spent thousands of dollars on lessons to learn how to ballroom dance. It's a very difficult dance, but we can't do that anymore and we loved that very much,” said Sandra.

Sandra, who was 60 years old at the time, said she spent several days in the hospital.

Deputy Williams's report confirmed Sandra had fractured her leg.

Rawsi Williams says this is a fourth amendment case because it talks about what he describes as body integrity in the context of an unreasonable search and seizure.

Rawsi Williams said the couple will officially file the lawsuit on Monday, June 6.