Sheriff's office denies accusations leveled in lawsuit

FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — The San Juan County Sheriff's Office is denying allegations in a lawsuit that officers slammed a motorist's face into the ground, knocked him unconscious and denied him timely medical care during a September 2016 traffic stop. The Farmington Daily Times reports (http://bit.ly/2omFKZB) that the sheriff's office made the denials in its response to a lawsuit filed in December by Preston Wilson. Wilson was pulled over after authorities received reports of erratic driving involving a vehicle that matched the description of his vehicle. Wilson was arrested at the traffic stop. Court records show he later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of driving while under the influence and of driving on a revoked license. Wilson's attorney claims his client has incurred more than $30,000 in medical expenses from the alleged incident. The defendants are seeking dismissal of the complaint.