There is no publicly confirmed Tyler Canaris settlement. The federal civil rights lawsuit Canaris filed against former Paulding County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael McMaster and Sheriff Gary Gulledge was terminated on December 15, 2025, but the court docket does not disclose whether the case ended through a settlement, a ruling on the pending summary judgment motions, or a voluntary dismissal, and no settlement amount or terms have been made public.1CourtListener. Canaris v. McMaster, 4:23-cv-00215
What the Lawsuit Was About
Canaris filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on September 22, 2023, under 42 U.S.C. ยง 1983.1CourtListener. Canaris v. McMaster, 4:23-cv-00215 The complaint arose from a March 4, 2022 pedestrian stop in which McMaster body-slammed Canaris, then 30, while Canaris was walking to work around 6:00 a.m. McMaster told him he matched the description of someone reported to be breaking into cars in the area. Canaris was later cleared of any connection to those break-ins.2FOX 5 Atlanta. Paulding Deputy Fired After Video Shows Body-Slamming Man During Arrest
According to the lawsuit, Canaris suffered a skull fracture, a fractured left clavicle, a fractured right thumb, a ruptured left eardrum, and a traumatic brain injury, running up roughly $73,000 in medical bills. He was also charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer. The complaint alleged excessive force, a failure to de-escalate, and “false and misleading statements” that led to an arrest without probable cause. Canaris sought punitive damages along with compensation for his injuries.3Atlanta News First. Paulding County Sheriff, Former Deputy Named in Lawsuit Over Body Slam Incident
How the Case Ended
The case, Canaris v. McMaster (4:23-cv-00215), was assigned to Judge William M. Ray II, and both sides demanded a jury.4CourtListener. Canaris v. McMaster – Parties After a period of discovery that included depositions of Canaris, McMaster, and Sheriff’s Office personnel, both defendants filed separate motions for summary judgment on July 14, 2025, backed by an Internal Affairs case report, personnel records, a GBI investigation file, and deposition transcripts.1CourtListener. Canaris v. McMaster, 4:23-cv-00215
The docket shows the case terminated on December 15, 2025, with a last known filing on February 2, 2026. It does not identify the mechanism of termination.1CourtListener. Canaris v. McMaster, 4:23-cv-00215 A termination following pending summary judgment motions is consistent with either a court ruling or a negotiated resolution reached before the court decided those motions.
Why No Dollar Figure Is Public
Federal civil rights cases against law enforcement are frequently resolved through settlements that the parties keep confidential. Without a public filing describing the outcome or an announcement from Canaris, his attorneys, or Paulding County, there is no basis to confirm that a settlement occurred, and no dollar figure can be reported. Neither the plaintiff’s counsel at The Cochran Firm nor the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office has publicly disclosed terms in the sources available.
What Canaris’s Team Had Sought
At a February 2023 press conference, Canaris’s attorneys Shean Williams and Sam Starks laid out what they were pursuing on his behalf: McMaster’s termination, payment of Canaris’s medical expenses, dismissal of the obstruction charge, and a federal Department of Justice investigation into the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.5GPB News. Paulding County Deputy Faces Legal Action Alleging Excessive Force McMaster was fired on February 27, 2023, though the Sheriff’s Office attributed the termination to unrelated policy violations rather than the body-slam itself.2FOX 5 Atlanta. Paulding Deputy Fired After Video Shows Body-Slamming Man During Arrest Whether any of the financial demands were ultimately met through a private agreement is not reflected in the public record.