'That's a gang:' Men recount violent encounters with Harnett deputies that led to lawsuit, $6 million settlement

A day after the insurer for the Harnett County Sheriff's Office settled a lawsuit that alleged a pattern of excessive force by a group of deputies, two men who participated in the suit told their story to WRAL News.

While the suit was led by the family of John David Livingston, who was shot and killed by Deputy Nicholas Kehagias in November 2015, fellow plaintiffs Michael Cardwell and Tyrone Bethune, who now goes by King Knowledge-El, had similar stories of violent encounters with sheriff's deputies.

Knowledge-El says Kehagias came to his home in the middle of the night looking for another man, someone who looked much different from him.

In the moment, that didn't matter.

"He grabbed me and ... I get slammed right there chipping my tooth," Knowledge-El said.

Cardwell, a Vietnam veteran, said he was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by Kehagias. Now 71, he has had four surgeries to repair a broken hip, leg and rib after he called 911 seeking help for a mental health episode.

"He proceeds to pick me up over his head and slam me down to the ground," Cardwell recalled.

Knowledge-El says the money he'll get from the settlement, after lawyer's fees and split with other plaintiffs, amounts to "a bandage on a problem. It's not a solution," he said.

Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats, who was one of the men named in the suit along with former former Sheriff Larry Rollins, declined to answer WRAL News questions about the cases on Friday. He referred to the statement he issued about the settlement, in which he said, "This settlement is not in any way an admission of guilt to any actions of the deputies. Although I was not the sheriff at the time of the incidents, I still support the men that were involved and I believe they acted appropriately."

Cardwell says, "It was scary to believe it because I think nothing has changed."

Added Knowledge-El, "That's a gang, and he's the leader, and he's not going to turn on his gang."