PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) -An accused Arizona freeway shooter suspect has filed a $10 million notice of claim against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, the State of Arizona, Maricopa County and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.

Leslie Merritt’s attorneys David Don, Ulises Ferragut and Jason Lamm allege the investigating agencies “suppressed evidence, ignored exculpatory evidence, intimidated witnesses and misused the legal process to bring false accusations against Mr. Merritt, who has remained deprived of his liberty until the present.”

A notice of claim is a preliminary legal step in filing a civil suit.  

Merritt, a former landscaper, was arrested last September and is accused of four separate instances of shooting at vehicles on I-10 in August 2015

"As far as Leslie goes, he's a stand-up guy," Edward Sauceda, the grandfather of Merritt's fiance, said. "He's done a lot of dumb things in his life but this isn't one of them."

Sauceda said he believes Merritt is innocent and calls the charges against him "bogus" and "ludicrous."

The claim seeks to recover lost wages, legal expenses and compensation for suffering “pain, anxiety and fear.”

Crane said if Merritt were to file and win a civil case, a jury could award more than the $10 million in the notice of claim if they see fit. 

"Money means nothing, dollars don't mean a thing, if he's still in there," Sauceda said. "If and when they do clear him for this bogus charge, that'll tell the whole story."