Federal Lawsuit Accuses Former Butler Mayor, Police Chief of Excessive Force in 2025 Incident
BUTLER, Ohio — A federal civil-rights lawsuit has been filed against the Village of Butler, former Mayor Wesley Dingus, Butler Police Chief Eric Winbigler and others over a July 2025 incident in which a man was struck and pinned beneath a vehicle during an attempted apprehension.
The 31-page complaint was filed July 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Anthony Ward and his grandmother, identified throughout the allegations as Mary Hunter, are seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees and other relief. The lawsuit also demands a jury trial.
The lawsuit contains allegations made by the plaintiffs. The defendants will have an opportunity to respond, and the claims have not yet been proven in court.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred July 11, 2025, near the Duke and Duchess gas station on West Elm Street in Butler. Ward was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle being driven by Hunter when Dingus allegedly began following them.
The lawsuit claims Dingus initially positioned his vehicle behind Hunter’s vehicle at the gas station, blocking it from leaving. It alleges Winbigler then arrived in a police cruiser and again blocked the vehicle.
According to the complaint, Winbigler ordered Ward to show his hands and exit the vehicle. Ward allegedly complied, stood outside with his hands raised and was unarmed.
The filing acknowledges that Ward reportedly had an active warrant connected to leaving a halfway house while on parole. However, his attorneys contend he did not threaten officers or engage in conduct presenting an immediate danger.
The lawsuit alleges Winbigler pushed Ward against the vehicle, called him a violent criminal and made statements indicating that he could shoot or kill Ward. Ward then reportedly ran because he believed he was about to be seriously harmed.
When Hunter attempted to intervene, Winbigler allegedly pushed her to the ground. The complaint states she was 78 years old at the time and later received treatment at Knox Community Hospital.
The lawsuit alleges that Dingus then accelerated his vehicle toward Ward and struck him several times as Ward attempted to run through the parking lot.
According to the filing, Ward was thrown onto the hood before falling and becoming trapped beneath the vehicle. The lawsuit claims Dingus moved the vehicle backward and forward while Ward was underneath it before eventually stopping.
The complaint further alleges that Tiffany Dingus grabbed Hunter with both hands and violently shook her while Hunter was attempting to help her grandson.
Ward’s attorneys claim Winbigler then placed a knee and his body weight on Ward’s injured leg while Ward’s foot remained trapped under a tire. A Bellville police officer who arrived at the scene allegedly ordered Winbigler to get off Ward and directed Dingus to move the vehicle.
Ward was transported by ambulance to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. The lawsuit alleges he suffered a fractured leg, a crushed or severely injured ankle and other permanent physical and emotional injuries.
Hunter alleges that she also suffered serious and permanent injuries, including a fractured hip, as well as emotional trauma from witnessing the incident.
The complaint states that much of the encounter was recorded by surveillance cameras at the gas station. It also alleges Dingus later attempted to obtain or destroy the surveillance recording but was unsuccessful.
The plaintiffs accuse Dingus and Winbigler of excessive force, unlawful seizure, assault and battery, failure to intervene, negligence, interfering with civil rights and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The Village of Butler is named as a defendant under claims that Dingus and Winbigler were acting within the scope of their government employment and authority at the time.
The complaint also names Tiffany Dingus and unidentified “John Doe” Butler officials and police officers as defendants.
Attorneys Paul J. Cristallo, Joshua M. Miklowski and Tina Y. Rhodes of Weston Hurd LLP are representing the plaintiffs.
The case was filed as Anthony Ward et al. v. Village of Butler et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-01612. The civil cover sheet categorizes the case as a federal civil-rights and excessive-force action seeking more than $25,000, although the complaint does not state a specific total amount of damages.
Editor’s note: The lawsuit’s caption identifies the second plaintiff as “Mary Ward,” while the body of the complaint repeatedly identifies Anthony Ward’s grandmother as Mary Hunter.
