Michael Nichols

Deadly force

According to the sheriff, a deputy responded to a complaint about a man picking fights with neighbors and encountered Michael Nichols on the porch of Nichols's house. The deputy alleges Nichols refused to follow orders and reached for a weapon, so he shot Nichols three times, once in the face. In a lawsuit against the deputy, the sheriff and the county, attorneys for the Nichols estate claim Nichols was on his own property, doing nothing wrong and completely unarmed when the deputy shot him. The attorneys note that the deputy was already facing litigation for another similar fatal encounter, Timothy Rhodes on Feb. 22, 2019.