Why is Kyle Chrisley suing Tennessee deputies? $1.7 million arrest lawsuit explained

Kyle Chrisley filed a $1.7 million lawsuit against Rutherford County, Tennessee, and two sheriff’s deputies, claiming he was wrongfully arrested during a September 2024 incident. According to court documents obtained by People, lawyers for the Chrisley Knows Best star and his wife argued that he was “punished for calling for help” after a confrontation with a mechanic turned violent.

The lawsuit stated that on September 9, 2024, a mechanic “angry over a payment dispute” came to the couple’s home uninvited, “kicked at their doors, threatened violence, and used his car as a weapon by ramming their SUV and nearly running Kyle over in front of multiple neighbors.”

Rather than taking the mechanic into custody, the complaint alleged that Rutherford County deputies

“arrested Kyle Chrisley, and ignored clear evidence that he was the victim, not the aggressor.”

The filing also shared Chrisley's perspective that the officers ignored witness statements. It expanded on the ignorance, stating that the authorities chose to overlook video footage. Kyle Chrisley and his wife Ashleigh argued in their filing that

“no family should face criminal charges or threats of arrest for defending themselves at home or for exercising their constitutional rights. This is a case about false arrest, excessive force, and retaliation for trying to hold police officers accountable.”

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Kyle Chrisley says he was the victim, not aggressor, in confrontation with mechanic

Court filings described the altercation in detail, stating that Kyle Chrisley “shoved back in self-defense and the two men pushed each other out of the garage and down the driveway.” Attorneys stressed that he never “brandished or used a knife” during the incident.

Ashleigh Chrisley was the person who called 911 after the mechanic allegedly “intentionally reversed into [her] parked SUV, smashing and damaging her vehicle.” The filing added that he then “performed two 360-degree spins while flinging topsoil into the air, and sped away toward the neighborhood exit.”

By the time deputies arrived at the scene, the mechanic had accused Kyle Chrisley of stabbing him. Kyle denied the claim outright, and one neighbor also told authorities they had not seen a knife. Even with the conflicting accounts, deputies arrested Kyle Chrisley on aggravated assault charges. According to the lawsuit, officers

“threw Chrisley to the ground, placed knees on his back, and handcuffed him despite the fact that Chrisley used no force against the officers and did not otherwise resist.”

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Kyle Chrisley alleges deputies targeted him for fame

The lawsuit alleged that deputies “appeared eager to arrest Chrisley, treating the encounter as an opportunity to make headlines by arresting a well-known figure.” It further claimed the arrest was “motivated in part by animus toward [Kyle] based on his notoriety, past public controversies, or perceived privilege, rather than on the facts or law surrounding” the situation.

According to the filing,

“The false arrest and excessive force violated Chrisley's Fourth Amendment rights, causing physical injury, emotional distress, and deprivation of liberty.”

The complaint also asserted that Chrisley endured humiliation, reputational harm, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and financial losses as a result of the arrest.

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Lindsie Chrisley reflects on brother Kyle’s struggles after parents’ divorce

Lindsie Chrisley opened up about her brother Kyle’s past struggles during a March 5, 2025 episode of the Cate & Ty Break It Down podcast, offering a candid look at the Chrisley family before fame. The Chrisley Knows Best star, who shares a father with Savannah Chrisley, spoke about the impact of Todd Chrisley’s 1996 divorce from his first wife, Teresa Terry. She suggested that Kyle’s issues with substance abuse were tied to the family’s fractured past.

According to Lindsie, her father often noted the difference between how the siblings processed the divorce. “Lindsie handled the divorce much differently than Kyle,” she recalled him saying. Kyle’s struggles, she explained, were “outwardly expressed,” while she herself accepted and internalized the circumstances.

“You could tell all the issues that Kyle was having, because they were outwardly expressed, like whether it be in anger or trouble in school or substance or like whatever those things were. I just kind of sucked it up and was like, this is my life and I'm just supposed to accept it,” she explained.

Even so, Lindsie shared that her brother had since made progress.

“As far as I know, he's sober,” she shared.

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