MT. CARROLL, Ill. – A lawsuit filed in federal court in late April accuses officers of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and Mt. Carroll Police Department of violating a Mt. Carroll man’s Fourth Amendment rights when they allegedly entered his home without a warrant and arrested him.
According to the complaint filed on April 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Mt. Carroll man Paul Little is listed as the Plaintiff.
The Defendants listed in the complaint are:
- Carroll Co. Sheriff Ryan Kloepping
- Carroll Co. Deputy Tyler Todd
- Carroll Co. Deputy Christian Ponall
- Mt. Carroll Officer Courtney Grinnall
- City of Mt. Carroll
- Carroll County
According to the complaint, the alleged incident occurred on May 11, 2024, when officers arrived at Paul Little’s home to investigate a domestic battery allegation against his son Matthew Little.
The complaint says the officers announced their presence by knocking on the front door of the home before being greeted by Paul, who subsequently asked for the purpose of their visit.
According to the complaint, Paul confirmed to the officers Matthew lived at the home, but then asked if the officers had a warrant for Matthew’s arrest or to search the home.
The complaint alleges the officers replied to Paul that they did not have any warrant.
According to the complaint, the officers asked Paul if they could speak with Matthew about the alleged domestic battery incident, but Paul told the officers they were not allowed to enter the home unless they had a warrant.
The complaint alleges that after Paul stepped back into his home and began closing the door, more than one officer stepped into the doorway preventing Paul from closing his door.
According to the complaint, Paul reminded the officers they may not enter his home without a warrant and stayed near his doorway, holding the door, preventing the officers from entering the home.
After a back and forth verbal exchange between Paul and the officers, the complaint alleges the officers suddenly forced their way into the home without warning.
According to the complaint, three officers entered with such force that Paul was knocked backwards ‘four to five feet’ into the kitchen inside the home before slamming into the kitchen counter after falling over a laundry basket.
The complaint alleges Paul was left with four bloody skin-torn areas on his right arm, resembling the imprints of the officer’s fingers, as they tried to throw him to the ground.
According to the complaint, Paul surrendered to the officers before being handcuffed and informed he was being placed under arrest for interfering with an investigation.
The complaint alleges the officers denied Paul medical care despite bleeding from his arm.
According to the complaint, after being placed in the back seat of the officer’s vehicle, Paul saw multiple officers entering and exiting his home ‘at the direction of Sheriff Kloepping.’
The complaint alleges, through a phone call, Sheriff Kloepping told Deputy Ponall they could proceed into the home because they had probable cause to arrest Matthew.
Shortly after, the complaint alleges Paul saw Matthew being removed from the home in handcuffs before he was taken to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and charged with Resisting or Obstructing a Peace Officer, a Class A Misdemeanor.
According to the complaint, the injuries to Paul’s arm are still visible and will ‘likely never disappear.’
Court records show prosecutors dismissed Paul’s charges on June 21.
In August, Matthew pleaded Guilty to Battery, a Class A Misdemeanor, and sentenced to 12 months of court supervision and ordered to pay hundreds of dollars in fines and fees, which were paid in full in March 2025, according to court records.
Attorney Corey Page, representing Paul in the lawsuit, is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief directed to the City of Mt. Carroll and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. He is also seeking punitive damages against the defendants named in the suit ‘in an amount sufficient to punish those defendants and to deter future misconduct by these defendants and other similarly situated police officers.’
Page responded to my inquiry into his lawsuit via email on Wednesday.
“The unlawful arrest of Mr. Little was a retaliatory use of force to punish Mr. Little for asserting his Constitutional rights, to refuse police entry without a warrant,” Page said. “When police are doing a routine misdemeanor investigation, they cannot push their way into a home without a warrant.”
I reached out to the Mt. Carroll Police Department to ask about the lawsuit, but the attorney representing the City of Mt. Carroll replied to me saying the city will not comment.
I also reached out to Sheriff Kloepping to ask about the lawsuit, but he replied to me saying he cannot comment on any active lawsuit.
This lawsuit comes as now-former Carroll Co. Deputy Matthew Herpstreith faces multiple felony charges for his alleged role in the death of Jackson Kradle back in July 2024.
Click the link below to view the full complaint.
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