Two lawsuits filed due to John Wiley Price-Dwaine Caraway fight

Two people connected to the fight involving John Wiley Price and Dwaine Caraway said Monday they have filed lawsuits.

Micah Phillips, who recorded the fight and is also a candidate in the District 3 Commissioners Court race, has filed suit against Caraway. The campaign worker who said he was choked by Price has filed suit against the incumbent.

Philips said comments by Caraway last week calling him and Price “gangsters” and con-artists went too far. He seeks in excess of $1 million in damages for what he claims are a substantial loss of his reputation and emotional distress.

“It’s going to hurt several areas that I’m in because I’m not a politician, I’m a businessman and I’m a pastor in this city,” Phillips said. “Some of the things he said about me have stepped on my great grandfather, my grandfather and my daddy who are now in their graves sleeping and they did not produce a gangster. I’m not a gangster. I’m a God-fearing man.”

George Nash, a volunteer with the Caraway campaign, said he was physically assaulted by Price when a fight broke out in the KHVN-AM studios. Nash filed a claim for civil assault and battery due to injuries he claims he suffered from Price’s physical attack.

“It’s Inappropriate to grab someone by the neck,” said Nash attorney Kristin Regel. “It’s criminal. It also can subject you to civil damages and one way we can put a stop to this type of action is to bring suit in civil court.”

Both Price and Caraway declined to discuss the pending lawsuits against them. Election Day is Tuesday. If no candidate reaches 50 percent in the four person field, the top two vote-earners will move to a runoff later this spring.