FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- Dearborn and Allen Park police are accused of mistaking a diabetic man for a drunken driver and beating him to the point that he required surgery to remove part of his brain, according to a lawsuit filed by an attorney representing the man’s wife.

Pamela Griglen, 46, and her attorney Arnold Reed on Monday filed a federal lawsuit asking for $20 million in damages.

Reed said Ernest Griglen was driving southbound on the Southfield Freeway on June 15 when he suffered a diabetic hypoglycemic episode that caused him to swerve between lanes.

Ernest was pulled over by Allen Park and Dearborn police who thought he was drunk and beat him in the head and face, Reed said.

“They began to hit him, punch him and throw him to the ground,” Reed said.

Ernest’s wife said her husband told her, “They beat me, Pam. They really beat me.”

However, two police reports offer differing details of the incident.

In one police report, Breathalyzer results listed prove Ernest was not drunk, but states police were chasing Ernest because of a domestic violence complaint. The report states he was pulled over after a short chase on the Southfield Freeway near Ford Road.

The other report states Ernest was “combative” and that officers were force to put him on the ground. The only injury listed on the report is that some blood was noticed to be trickling down Ernest’s nose.

But Reed said Ernest was taken to Oakwood Hospital where emergency brain surgery was performed that removed a part of Ernest’s brain. Reed added that the man has not been awake and has been on a ventilator since the incident, and he presented photographs to prove the man's condition.

Reed maintains Ernest had an insulin pump inserted in his stomach and that officers should have taken it as a sign to the truth behind Ernest’s behavior.

Ernest was also wearing a medical boot because he had just had an operation on his ankle.

Reed said although there is not police dashcam video of the incident, he does have witnesses who will be brought to court.

The director of public information for the city of Dearborn said the city has not yet been served with the lawsuit and would need to investigate the allegations in a responsible manner before commenting on the situation. She said the city’s best wishes go out to the family while they are dealing with such a serious medical condition.

The Allen Park police declined comment.