We Take the Hardest Police Excessive Force Cases in Arizona—And We Win Them at Trial
We Take the Hardest Police Excessive Force Cases in Arizona—And We Win Them at Trial
Most people never expect to need an Arizona police excessive force lawyer.
And even fewer expect that holding a police officer accountable could take nearly five years of litigation in federal court.
At Scottsdale Injury Lawyers, LLC, those are exactly the cases we take.
In Dillon Rock v. Mike Miller, we pursued justice from the moment the case was filed in 2020 until a jury delivered its verdict in May 2025—after years of resistance, appeals, and attempts to end the case before it ever reached trial.
This was not an easy case.
It was not a fast case.
And it was not a case most law firms would have tried, much less taken.
We did….and the jury found excessive force.
A Five-Year Battle to Reach a Jury
This case was filed in 2020 and, after nearly five years of litigation, was tried to a jury with Judge Dominic Lanza presiding. The case was tried in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona at the Sandra Day O’Connor Courthouse in Phoenix. The jury trial took place last month from May 12 through May 16, 2025.
Getting to that courtroom was its own victory.
Police excessive force cases are often fought hardest before trial. Defendants file motion after motion seeking dismissal. Officers claim qualified immunity. Appeals are taken. Years pass.
Most cases never make it past those hurdles.
This one did—because we refused to let it die quietly.
Why Federal Police Excessive Force Cases Are So Difficult to Win
Federal court is one of the toughest environments for civil-rights cases in the country—especially those involving police officers.
One reason is juror bias. Many jurors naturally trust law enforcement and believe officers act in good faith. That means injured civilians start the case at a disadvantage.
Simply put, conservative and pro-law enforcement jurors will give police officers a pass. This is true even if the police officers violated the law.
Another reason is the unanimous jury requirement.
If even one juror refuses to hold the officer accountable, the plaintiff loses.
In federal court, the jury must be unanimous. If even one juror refuses to hold the officer accountable, the plaintiff loses. There is no partial verdict. No compromise. No second chance.
That reality alone causes many attorneys to avoid federal police excessive force cases altogether.
At Scottsdale Injury Lawyers, LLC, we prepare for that challenge from day one.
What Happened in This Case
The case involved a police K-9 deployment that escalated when it should have slowed down.
Our client was unarmed and hiding inside a small storage shed on his own property. Officers arrived with incomplete and inaccurate information and failed to fully investigate before deploying a police dog.
When the dog located our client, it bit down on his arm—and thrashed him around violently like a rag doll.
For more than 40 seconds, the dog remained latched on while our client was under control. The injuries were severe and permanent, including nerve damage, muscle loss, lasting weakness, and disfiguring scarring.
The question for the jury was simple but critical: Did the officer allow force to continue when it was no longer justified?
The jury answered yes.
A Jury Verdict That Matters
After days of testimony and careful deliberation, the jury found that the officer used excessive force and did so with malice or in reckless disregard of our client’s constitutional rights.
That finding is powerful.
Civil-rights verdicts are not just about one person. They establish standards. They reinforce limits. They remind everyone—officers included—that the Constitution still governs moments of chaos.
This verdict sent a clear message: force must stop when control is achieved.
What It Takes to Win a Federal Jury Trial
What most people never see is what goes into winning a case like this.
Preparing and trying this case required 16- to 18-hour days, often for weeks at a time.
That work included:
- Mastering years of records, video, and testimony
- Preparing witnesses for aggressive cross-examination
- Responding to surprise defense tactics in real time
- Arguing evidentiary issues during trial
- Adjusting strategy daily as rulings came down
- Refining arguments late into the night
Federal trials leave no room for shortcuts. Winning requires preparation, stamina, and the willingness to push through exhaustion when the stakes are highest.
Winning requires preparation, stamina, and the willingness to push through exhaustion when the stakes are highest.
That is the level of commitment our clients receive.
Why We Take the Cases Other Arizona Police Excessive Force Lawyers Won’t
Many attorneys avoid being an Arizona police excessive force lawyer because these cases are hard, risky, and resource-intensive.
We take them because they matter.
Because constitutional rights are meaningless unless someone enforces them.
Because accountability should not depend on convenience.
And because justice often requires standing alone in federal court against powerful institutions.
This case took nearly five years to reach a jury. We stayed with it the entire way—and we prevailed.
Talk to an Arizona Police Excessive Force Lawyer Who Tries Cases
If you or someone you love has been injured by police excessive force, you need more than a settlement lawyer. You need a firm that is willing to go to trial—and win—when the case demands it.
At Scottsdale Injury Lawyers, LLC, we take the hardest cases, we are comfortable in federal court, and we do not back down when constitutional rights are on the line.
📍 Scottsdale Injury Lawyers, LLC
⚖️ Arizona Police Excessive Force Lawyer
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Because some cases are hard……and those are the ones worth fighting.
About the author: The content on this page was provided by Scottsdale personal injury attorney and civil rights lawyer Tony Piccuta with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence. Piccuta graduated with honors from Indiana University-Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana (Previously Ranked Top 35 US News & World Report). Piccuta took and passed the State bars of Arizona, California, Illinois and Nevada (all on the first try). He actively practices throughout Arizona and California. He is a trial attorney that regularly handles serious personal injury cases and civil rights lawsuits. He has obtained six and seven figure verdicts in both state and federal court. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers for six years straight. He is a member of the Arizona Association of Justice, Maricopa County Bar Association, Scottsdale Bar Association, American Association for Justice, National Police Accountability Project and Consumer Attorneys of California, among other organizations.
Disclaimer: The information on this web site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information on this page is attorney advertising. Reading and relying upon the content on this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, you should contact our law firm for a free consultation and to discuss your specific case and issues.
