AGrundy County man has filed a $1.5 million federal civil rights lawsuit against the county and two sheriff’s deputies, alleging he suffered 12 fractured ribs during an encounter with officers in Altamont.

Edwin David Congdon filed the lawsuit Oct. 24 in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga against Grundy County government and Deputies David Andrew Young and Harley Holt. The complaint alleges excessive force, false arrest, malicious prosecution and failure to intervene, along with claims that the county failed to properly hire, train and supervise deputies.

According to the lawsuit, Young and Holt approached Congdon near state Route 56 and Old State Route 56 on Feb. 23, 2026, after Young reported a man waving an object near the road. The complaint says Congdon was holding a small plastic pipe and was standing off the main roadway when deputies confronted him. The incident was captured on body cam.

Congdon alleges Young ordered him into a patrol vehicle for a ride home or threatened to take him to jail. When Congdon stepped back, the lawsuit says, Young tackled him, punched him twice in the head and restrained him on the ground. It alleges Holt witnessed the encounter but did not intervene.

The lawsuit says Congdon was taken to jail and later examined at a hospital, where he was diagnosed with 12 fractured ribs. It also alleges Young filed inaccurate reports about the encounter. Congdon was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, charges the complaint says were dismissed.

The filing further contends Grundy County hired Young despite warnings from previous law enforcement employers about his conduct. It cites disciplinary records from the Tullahoma Police Department and statements attributed to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint also points to other past personnel controversies as evidence of what it describes as a pattern of inadequate screening and oversight.

Congdon seeks $500,000 in compensatory and other damages against the defendants and $1 million in punitive damages against Young and Holt, along with legal fees and costs. He has requested a jury trial.

Since the incident alleged in the federal lawsuit reportedly happened during the prior administration, Sheriff Virgil McNeece released a comment.

“”The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of an incident that occurred on February 13, 2026, involving a Grundy County Citizen and two former officers of the agency.

This incident occurred before our administration took office on September 1, 2026. While it predates our administration, we recognize that the public deserves clear communication from the Sheriff’s Office.

We take concerns involving the conduct of law enforcement officers seriously. Our responsibility is to address those concerns fairly, establish the facts, and respect the rights of everyone involved.

We will not speculate or draw conclusions based on incomplete information.

Our administration is committed to transparency and will share verified information as it becomes available and can lawfully be released, while respecting privacy and the integrity of any related proceedings.

Please avoid sharing unverified information circulating on social media out of respect for everyone involved.”