St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputies are appealing a recent federal court decision that found the deputies are not entitled to qualified immunity in an excessive force lawsuit filed by a Slidell resident.

Judge Wendy Vitter of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana ruled against a key claim in a summary judgment motion by deputies Kyle Hart and Ryan Moring. The deputies were involved in the arrest of Teliah Perkins after she was accused of a traffic violation – riding a dirt bike without a helmet.

Perkins alleged in her lawsuit that the deputies forced her to the ground and “leaned on Ms. Perkins’ back and neck with their knees and elbows, pulled her hair, and forced her face against the driveway pavement while wrenching her arms behind her back,” eventually impeding her ability to breathe.