KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler, the county, and multiple sheriff’s deputies are facing a lawsuit connected to an arrest filmed for the reality TV show On Patrol: Live.
The lawsuit was filed by 56-year-old Donna Dillon, who alleges she was arrested on a misdemeanor assault warrant from late 2022 that she claims was never previously served and that she did not know existed. The charge has since been dismissed for failure to prosecute, and her record has been expunged.
According to the lawsuit, several Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Dillon’s Hardin Valley home on June 28, 2026, using multiple patrol vehicles to serve the warrant—more than two and a half years after it was issued.
Dillon claims the arrest led to physical harm due to how deputies restrained her. She says she had recently undergone shoulder replacement surgery and repeatedly requested to be handcuffed in the front. The lawsuit alleges deputies refused, placing her hands behind her back and causing pain and injury.
The complaint further claims Dillon was kept restrained for hours while deputies conducted additional arrests for the television program before transporting her to jail. Once in custody, she alleges she was denied medical evaluation despite her condition.
Dillon’s attorneys argue the arrest was unnecessary given the age of the warrant and claim it may have been carried out to capture footage for the show rather than for immediate public safety concerns.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and monetary damages, though a specific amount has not been listed.
