Pittsburgh-area man claims state police used excessive force during arrest

Pennsylvania State Police bodycam video was presented in court at a Westmoreland County magistrate on Thursday. It shows state police troopers executing a search warrant on James Grady and William Sever for the hit-and-run death of 19-year-old Jayden Lynch on July 31, 2025. 

Investigators say that while the car that hit Lynch belonged to Grady, Sever was the driver, and Grady was not in the car. However, Grady was charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, but now he and his attorney are asking for those charges to be dropped due to what they say was excessive force used by state police.

"Mr. Grady has advised me that he was asleep in his bed and that he awoke when they kicked his door in," said Grady's attorney, Devin O'Leary. "He came down the stairs and was instantly, what he considers to be accosted by police. They had him pinned down at one point. And instead of asking him questions, they immediately tried to place him under arrest, but I feel like they did a lot more than that."

A state police spokesperson said Grady did not comply with police commands and was made to put his hand behind his back to be handcuffed. The spokesperson also said that Grady was not tased, and he walked out of the home with the officers under his own power.

State police said that Grady wasn't injured and did not ask for medical help, adding that if he needed medical assistance, he would have been taken to a local hospital. Grady's attorney disputes that.

"I've seen Mr. Grady's medical records," O'Leary said. "He did present to the hospital later that day with a fractured vertebra, six broken ribs, a lacerated liver and contusions to his face and nose. Those didn't happen by accident, and he certainly didn't do them to himself."

This case is still under investigation, and both Grady and his attorney believe that the footage will vindicate Grady and that ultimately, the case will be dismissed.