A Jim Thorpe area resident has filed a complaint against two Carbon County employees after saying they mistreated him.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Commissioners hired attorney Frank L. Tamulonis Jr. as the special counsel to the county for $140 per hour plus expenses in the case against Matthew Schutter.Schutter, on March 29, filed a pro se lawsuit in the Carbon County Court of Common Pleas against county detective Tim Nothstein and a sheriff's deputy only identified by his badge number.In the complaint, Schutter said on March 29, he was trying to file a private criminal complaint with the county district attorney's office, and was told they did not have any forms."I asked her if she would print out some forms for me because it was my legal right to file a private criminal complaint," Schutter said in the complaint. "She told me that she would not give me a form and that the DA's office would not accept my complaint."Schutter said the woman then slammed the door on him and locked it, so he began to "knock loudly."Schutter said clerk of courts Bill McGinley opened the door and cursed at him and said he would get arrested.At that time, Schutter said Nothstein came out of his office screaming and cursing at him and walked "aggressively toward me" when he went to record the scene with his phone.The complaint states that Nothstein allegedly hit the phone out of Schutter's hands and then choked him before striking him multiple times.Schutter claims that he then struck Nothstein in self-defense.Following the altercation, Schutter said that a Carbon County deputy sheriff responded and began interrogating him.Schutter said the deputy sheriff argued whether or not he could file a lawsuit and then as he went into the office to file the suit, he "was thrown on the floor of the hallway, hitting my head first," handcuffed and shackled and put into a cell.Schutter said in the lawsuit that he asked "26 times for legal counsel and was denied."Schutter said in the suit that several rights were violated.On Thursday, the commissioners only briefly addressed the litigation following the action to hire special counsel.Commissioner William O'Gurek asked, "If and when this complaint is dismissed by court, are we able to seek compensation or reimbursement for the costs that we might incur under this motion to defend ourselves in what I believe is a frivolously lawsuit?"County solicitor Daniel Miscavige said that the county may be able to get reimbursed from the county's insurance carrier, but it will be up to the court to determine if there was an abuse of process or misuse of process.O'Gurek said that the allegations in the complaint against the county detective are totally out of character for the person Schutter describes.Jim Thorpe Police are investigating the incident, but have not filed a report.