A federal judge has decided that Ronan Police officers did not use excessive force to arrest Anthony Chaney, who filed a class action lawsuit last year against an officer, former police chief, mayor, and police department.

The Oct. 13 decision comes after U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled that allegations that the arresting officers were not properly certified should be decided in state court.

“It was objectively reasonable for officers to believe that there was an assault in progress,” Molloy wrote. “Viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to Chaney, the officers’ actions were reasonable under the circumstances and under the law.”

Anthony Chaney filed suit in June 2014, alleging that uncertified and off-duty officers had illegally arrested him a year earlier as he tried to calm his brother down from a post-traumatic stress disorder episode behind a Ronan bar.

Chaney was handcuffed but never charged with a crime. Molloy concluded that officers who saw one man trying to restrain another likely thought a fight was in progress and had a reason to detain Chaney.

“The court determined that none of the defendants had violated Mr. Chaney’s federal civil rights,” defense attorney Bill Crowley said. “He was detained with cause and reasonable force was used in detaining him. We are happy with the ruling.”

Still in question is whether or not the Ronan Police Department was properly certifying and training officers. Chaney claims that the officer who arrested him, Trevor Wadsworth, had been ordered not to act as a law enforcement officer by state officials just months earlier because he was not fully certified. Trevor is the son of Police Chief Dan Wadsworth, who was stripped of his law enforcement certification in July 2013 for allowing Trevor to work without proper certification.

Molloy said that issue should be resolved in state District Court.

In September, tribal attorney Timothy Bechtold said Chaney intended to pursue the issue in state court. Bechtold was unavailable for an update on the case.

Reporter Megan Strickland may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com