On September 14, 2012 a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Arizona against Pinal County, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and six named Deputies on behalf of San Tan Valley resident Jimmy Gradis and his family.
The lawsuit is from an incident on October 4, 2011 when six Pinal County Deputies held Mr. Gradis and his family at gunpoint and then searched his house without a search warrant. Two of the male Deputies physically searched two of the minor females that were residing with Mr. and Mrs. Gradis.
The Deputies claimed that they were responding to a report of a black male shooting at dogs with a shotgun. Mr. Gradis was unarmed and wearing a T-shirt and shorts when the Deputies arrived. The Deputies admitted they had heard no shots.
The lawsuit is a claim for Violation of Civil Rights under Color of Law against the Pinal County Sheriff and the Deputies.