Civil rights lawsuit against county deputy settled for $1.25 million

A Woodruff man has settled his federal civil rights lawsuit against an Oneida County deputy for $1.25 million, resolving a case that alleged the deputy intentionally tripped him while he was handcuffed outside a Rhinelander store in 2024. The settlement was announced in a press release from LawtonCates, S.C., the Madison law firm representing plaintiff Thomas J. Maulson. The case had been scheduled for a jury trial this month in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

“Mr. Maulson was the victim of a road rage incident, and rather than treat him as such, he was arrested and badly injured,” attorney Dixon R. Gahnz of LawtonCates said in the Sept. 15 press release. “All criminal charges were dismissed before our involvement in this case. The combination of the civil settlement and the dismissal of the charges provides some measure of justice for Mr. Maulson and his family.”

Asked to comment on the resolution, Oneida County Sheriff Grady Hartman defended Deputy Will Taege.

“I’m extremely disappointed that the insurance company chose to settle this case,” Hartman said in a statement. “I think it’s an injustice to the taxpayers.”

Asked whether Taege was disciplined over the incident, Hartman said he was not. “Taege did not receive any discipline because he didn’t do anything wrong,” the sheriff said.

The Star Journal also reached out to Andrew A. Jones of Hansen Reynolds LLC, the Milwaukee attorney who represented Taege. He did not respond prior to press time for this edition.

The incident

According to the complaint, filed July 30, 2025, Taege approached Maulson’s vehicle in the Walmart parking lot on March 30, 2024, while investigating a reported disturbance. Maulson was in the vehicle with his wife and their two children, ages 7 and 3, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit alleges a citizen witness told Taege at the scene that Maulson was not the aggressor in the earlier disturbance and that the other party involved had already left. In a December 2025 deposition, Taege testified he told the witness to wait in his vehicle and that he would speak with him afterward, prioritizing what he described as a “traffic stop” on Maulson’s vehicle.

Taege testified he asked Maulson for his driver’s license and proof of insurance multiple times. Maulson, who had his license in his hand but did not hand it over, replied at one point, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t answer questions,” according to Taege’s testimony and his supplemental report. Within roughly 20 to 30 seconds, Taege testified, he determined Maulson was what he termed a “no person” — his description, both in his report and in earlier sworn testimony, for someone who declines to answer questions or identify himself — and moved to remove him from the vehicle.

Taege ordered Maulson out of the vehicle three times, according to his supplemental report, then opened the driver’s door and pulled Maulson out by the wrist. Maulson was placed in handcuffs within five to 10 seconds, Taege testified.

While escorting Maulson toward his squad car using what he described as an “escort hold” — one hand on Maulson’s upper left arm — Taege testified he turned his attention briefly to Maulson’s wife, telling her to stay in the truck. When he turned back, he said, Maulson had pulled away and turned to face him, and the two ended up “nose-to-nose,” roughly six to 12 inches apart. Taege testified he used his left hand to push Maulson’s left shoulder to create distance, saying he feared a possible headbutt or being spit on — though he acknowledged under questioning that Maulson did not attempt to headbutt him and showed no sign of preparing to spit.

Maulson, unable to break his fall because his hands were cuffed behind his back, fell and struck the ground, landing on his face, according to the complaint and Taege’s testimony. The complaint alleges he suffered “significant injury to his knee and head” though no specifics were included. Taege testified he does not recall tripping Maulson and, after reviewing body-microphone and squad-camera video of the incident, testified that his foot “went past” rather than behind Maulson’s, though he acknowledged the video shows both men’s feet in close proximity.

The legal claims

The complaint brought one claim under the Fourth Amendment alleging Taege used excessive and objectively unreasonable force against Maulson, who the complaint says was compliant and not resisting. A second claim sought punitive damages, alleging Taege acted “maliciously, with intentional disregard and deliberate indifference” to Maulson’s rights.

In his written answer to the lawsuit, filed Sept. 2, 2025, Taege denied using excessive force and denied intentionally tripping Maulson. He raised qualified immunity as an affirmative defense, asserting he “at all times acted in good faith,” along with defenses citing possible failure to mitigate damages, Maulson’s own conduct, and possible noncompliance with Wisconsin’s notice-of-claim statute.

In his deposition, Taege testified the incident was internally classified as a use-of-force event, and that Oneida County Sheriff’s Office policy requires deputies to use “only the minimum force reasonable and necessary.” He testified he was not aware of any training or policy condoning pushing or tripping a handcuffed subject to bring them to the ground. He also confirmed the sheriff’s office does not equip road deputies with body cameras; his account of the incident’s early moments — including his initial exchange with the witness and his first words to Maulson — was not captured because, he testified, he had not yet turned on his microphone. He testified that he typically activates his microphone only as he approaches a stopped vehicle.

Taege testified that his captain, Tyler Young, told him afterward that he was supportive and did not believe the incident constituted a use of force — a position Taege said Young also expressed in comments to the Milwaukee Journal. Taege said he was not present for and did not participate in that interview. The Milwaukee Journal published an article on the incident on Oct. 2, 2024. It is available on www.jsonline.com, along with video footage from the parking lot.

According to court records, on April 1, 2024 the Oneida County district attorney’s office charged Maulson with disorderly conduct (as party to a crime) and resisting or obstructing an officer, both misdemeanors, related to the parking lot incident. Both charges were dismissed in January 2025 in response to a defense motion. According to court records, attorney Maggie Hogan argued for dismissal after learning that the sheriff’s department did not retain/preserve the audio of the original 911 call that caused Taege to be dispatched to the parking lot.

The settlement of the civil rights matter resolves all claims in the case.