The how and why of Solon’s arrest is in dispute. Officer Joshua Hale wrote in his report that when officers arrived on the scene, Solon disobeyed orders and that he told police he took Cooper’s weapon and struck him in the head with it “so he would stay down.”

Solon says this is a lie. He alleges in his lawsuit that the police fabricated the statement so they could arrest him after he criticized their handling of the incident. The charges against Solon were eventually dropped, while the charges against Cooper are pending.

The federal lawsuit filed this week is seeking a jury trial and damages.

“I thought I did everything right,” Solon told Channel 2 Action News. “I unloaded the weapon, I eliminated the threat, called the police, gave him medical attention, everything, and when the police arrive they acted like I’m the criminal here.”