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A concertgoer is suing the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Ruoff Music Center, alleging a deputy tased him several times while he was experiencing a medical emergency.
The lawsuit was filed by Charles Martin in Hamilton Superior Court Wednesday against Live Nation Worldwide Inc. d/b/a Ruoff Music Center, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and Matthew Hyde, a deputy for the sheriff’s office.
Attorneys for Live Nation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The sheriff’s office doesn’t comment on pending litigation out of respect for the judicial process, Hamilton County assistant attorney Adam Willfond told The Indiana Lawyer.
According to the lawsuit, Martin was attending a concert at Ruoff on Aug. 3, 2024, when he became overheated and suffered a medical emergency. During the emergency, Martin was brought into a medical trailer and strapped to a gurney.
Martin says that while on the gurney he was injected with 300 mg of ketamine against his will by agents or representatives of Live Nation. According to the lawsuit, Martin was held down by several people and tased multiple times by Hyde.
Martin has a cochlear implant and claims that the tasing by Hyde damaged the device and has caused ongoing ringing in his ear when the device is used and afterward.
Martin argues that Hyde’s use of force was intentional and objectively unreasonable. He is suing defendants for federal civil rights violations, negligence and battery
Martin is seeking punitive damages from Hyde, Live Nation/Ruoff, and the sheriff’s office and is represented by attorneys Brandon Tate and Sam Krahulik.
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