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A former Butler mayor and several village officials are facing a federal civil lawsuit stemming from a 2025 incident in which a fleeing suspect was allegedly struck multiple times by the mayor’s vehicle during an attempted arrest.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, on behalf of Anthony Ward and his grandmother, Mary Ward. The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
Named as defendants are the Village of Butler, former Mayor Wesley Dingus, Police Chief Eric Winbigler, Tiffany Dingus, and several unidentified defendants listed as John Does.
The lawsuit centers on a July 11, 2025, traffic stop in Butler. According to the complaint, Ward was wanted on an active parole violation warrant. The lawsuit alleges Ward complied with police commands before fleeing on foot after fearing for his safety.
The complaint further alleges that within seconds of Ward running, Dingus accelerated his personal vehicle toward Ward, striking him multiple times before Ward became trapped underneath the vehicle.
According to the lawsuit, Ward suffered significant injuries, including a broken leg and a crushed left ankle, requiring hospitalization.
The lawsuit also alleges that Ward’s grandmother was pushed to the ground by Police Chief Eric Winbigler and that Tiffany Dingus grabbed and violently shook her during the incident.
The civil complaint additionally alleges Chief Winbigler made threatening statements to Ward during the traffic stop. Those allegations have not been proven in court.
Winbigler has previously said Ward refused commands, fought with officers and fled the scene.
The incident remains the subject of a separate criminal case.
Former Mayor Dingus has already been indicted in Richland County Common Pleas Court on charges of aggravated assault, vehicular assault, falsification, and dereliction of duty. Those charges are separate from the newly filed civil lawsuit.
As of Tuesday, the defendants had not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
All allegations contained in the civil complaint are claims made by the plaintiffs. The lawsuit will proceed through federal court, where the claims will be litigated. Dingus and the other defendants are entitled to contest the allegations, and no findings of liability have been made.
