Man sues Elk Grove, county over traffic stop involving recovered stolen trailer
An El Dorado County man is suing Sacramento County, the city of Elk Grove and the state of California after a traffic stop involving a trailer that had previously been stolen, alleging his civil rights were violated and officers used excessive force.
The lawsuit alleges plaintiff Dennis Cartee, a resident of Diamond Springs, learned on July 7, 2025, that a trailer owned by his paving company, Planet Paving and Grading Inc., had been stolen.
He and his son reported the theft to the “Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and/or” the California Highway Patrol, who placed the vehicle on the Stolen Vehicle System database, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges Cartee was informed by a private party on July 10, 2025, of the trailer’s whereabouts. He then notified law enforcement and asked whether he could recover the trailer on his own. According to the lawsuit, authorities told him he could retrieve the trailer and said it would be removed from the statewide database.
On Oct. 17, 2025, the lawsuit alleges Cartee was driving with the trailer on Bradshaw Road near Calvine Road when he was pulled over by Elk Grove Police Department officers who identified the trailer as stolen through the database.
The lawsuit claims the officers lacked probable cause to conduct a high-risk felony stop because they relied solely on the database and did not confirm the information with other law enforcement agencies. Because of this, the lawsuit alleges the officers “violated Mr. Cartee’s Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.”
The lawsuit also alleges officers used “unnecessary and excessive force in detaining” Cartee.
During the traffic stop, according to the lawsuit, officers pointed firearms at Cartee and handcuffed him behind his back before pulling him backward by the arms into the patrol vehicle and mocking him for being in pain.
Cartee suffered injuries to his shoulders and arms and has undergone surgery to reconstruct a shoulder joint, the lawsuit alleges.
Because of his injuries, Cartee “lost the meaningful use of his shoulders and arms and can no longer carry out his duties and responsibilities as an employee” of his business, forcing him to close the 30-year-old company, the lawsuit states.
State records show the company’s contractors license remains active through next year, though the company did cancel its workers’ compensation insurance earlier this month.
“As a result of the injuries caused by the present defendants, Mr. Cartee has closed his company, lost his means of support and livelihood and will continue to suffer these harms and damages for the rest of his natural life,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit lists four causes of action, including assault and battery against the city of Elk Grove; negligence against the city, the county and state, as well as civil rights violations.
“As this matter is currently the subject of pending litigation, we’re unable to provide any comment at this time,” a spokesperson for the Elk Grove Police Department said.
Spokespersons for Sacramento County, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol’s South Sacramento office did not respond to requests for comment.
The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial. An initial case management conference is scheduled for Feb. 2.
