Man plans to file claim against Paulding County deputy he says body slammed him

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. - Tyler Canaris says his physical and mental health have taken a turn for the worse a year after a Paulding County deputy body slammed him. Now Canaris' attorneys say the case should not end with a GBI investigation.

"You match the description of someone trying to break into people cars," Paulding County Sheriff's Deputy Michael McMaster could be heard saying on camera. 

"Huh? I'm not breaking into anyone's cars," Canaris said right before the deputy grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

That is the controversial moment Tyler Canaris and his attorneys are claiming McMaster took things too far. The deputy's car dash cam recorded the incident on March 4, 2022.

Before that moment, the deputy told Canaris to take his backpack off and put his hands behind his back.

Deputies say Canaris did not comply with those requests. In the dashcam video, Canaris asked why he was being arrested.

A week ago, Paulding County asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the incident.

"Without justification, he was detained, and body slammed," one of Canaris' attorneys said in a press conference held Monday. "Make no mistake about it, Tyler did nothing wrong. He was on his way to work."

Canaris and his attorneys told reporters they believed Deputy McMaster should be held accountable for his actions.

"The county, we believe, has known or should've known that this is the kind of officer that does not have the right temperament to be on patrol," a second attorney continued. "That played out in the incident with Tyler."

For the first time, Canaris shared what that moment has done to him, both personally and professionally.

"After it happened, I had trouble walking to work and not thinking that there was a cop following me. At work, I can't perform my duties like I used to," he said.

Canaris' attorneys said Tyler had a case against the deputy and the county.