() A Northern California man who was experiencing a diabetic emergency was wrongfully tased and had his arm broken by police in front of his 6-year-old daughter, a lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit argues that after realizing Jeffrey Callaghan was experiencing a medical emergency and recognizing their excessive use of force, Sebastopol police officers conspired to falsely charge him with a crime, according to the Sacramento Bee.
What happened according to the lawsuit
The lawsuit alleges that in July 2024, Callaghan was driving with his daughter and began to suffer from a diabetic episode, according to the Sebastopol Times.
Officer Forrest Whitehall responded to reports of a car swerving and suspected that Callaghan was under the influence of alcohol.
After Officer Whitehall pulled up behind Callaghan’s truck and turned on his police car’s emergency lights, Callaghan did not stop and crashed into a ditch on the side of the road.
Officer Whitehall got out of his car, pulled a gun and ordered Callaghan to exit his vehicle. After being slow to respond to the officer’s directions, Callaghan was tased multiple times in front of his daughter.
The sheriff’s deputy then arrived and assisted Officer Whitehall in handcuffing Callaghan. During this encounter, Callaghan’s arm was broken.
“The sheriff’s sergeant knelt on Jeffrey’s shoulder and forced his right arm behind his back with enough force to break Jeffrey’s arm,” the lawsuit says.
Two other officers, Sgt. Cameron Fenske and Captain James Hickey, and medical units from a neighboring fire department arrived on the scene and determined that Callaghan was suffering from a diabetic episode.
After reaching out to the child’s mother and confirming Callaghan was diabetic, the officers still discussed what they could potentially charge him with.
Callaghan and his daughter were then taken to separate hospitals.
At the hospital, police administered both a Breathalyzer and a blood test to Callaghan, which both came back negative.
Officer Whitehall then transported Callaghan to the county jail, where he was booked on multiple charges, including felony vehicular evading, felony child endangerment and resisting arrest.
Callaghan was never charged with any crimes, and his savings account reportedly suffered significantly to cover the bail.
Alleged wrongdoing by the cops
Attorney Izaak Schwaiger filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Callaghan in July 2025, seeking an unspecified amount in damages for excessive force and eight related counts, according to the Sebastopol Times.
“Knowing beyond all doubt that Mr. Callaghan was innocent and that they had brutalized a man having a medical emergency, these officers conspired to have him jailed and prosecuted for crimes they know he did not commit in order to cover for their own crimes against him,” Schwaiger said in a statement to McClatchy News.
The lawsuit was filed against the city of Sebastopol and three officers, including Officer Forrest Whitehall, Sgt. Cameron Fenske and Captain James Hickey.
“They could have killed me in front of my daughter,” Callaghan told The Press Democrat.
City’s response to the lawsuit
“While the City generally does not issue public statements about pending litigation, it looks forward to defending its officers in court and responding to all allegations through the legal process,” Sebastopol Interim City Manager Mary C. Gourley said in a statement to McClatchy News.
