This thread will be dedicated to every police brutality settlement made since Floyd was murdered regardless of the victim's race.
Nationwide Police Settlement Thread........How We Pay Them to Violate Us.
- Thread starter Politic Negro
- Start date
Ohio city to pay couple $450K to settle police abuse lawsuit
APRIL 08, 2021
Euclid Law Director Kelley Sweeney declined to comment. The couple's attorney, Christopher McNeal, said he was “grateful these individuals will be compensated for he pain and suffering that they went through.”
The cellphone video of Hubbard's August 2017 arrest and beating by officer Michael Amiott went viral. Euclid police officials initially said Hubbard resisted arrest.
The dashcam video shows Amiott opening the car door and Hubbard getting out. Within a second of Amiott ordering him to “face away,” Amiott grabs Hubbard’s arms and wrestles him to the ground as Tirado jumps out of the car and rushes over.
Amiott is seen bashing Hubbard’s head against the pavement several times and then punching him in the head more than a dozen times as Hubbard tries to defend himself.
Charges filed against Hubbard and Tirado were eventually dismissed.
Euclid police had received previous reports about Amiott's behavior. He was fired by the city in October 2017. An arbitrator gave him his job back in October 2018.
www.milfordmirror.com
APRIL 08, 2021
Euclid Law Director Kelley Sweeney declined to comment. The couple's attorney, Christopher McNeal, said he was “grateful these individuals will be compensated for he pain and suffering that they went through.”
The cellphone video of Hubbard's August 2017 arrest and beating by officer Michael Amiott went viral. Euclid police officials initially said Hubbard resisted arrest.
The dashcam video shows Amiott opening the car door and Hubbard getting out. Within a second of Amiott ordering him to “face away,” Amiott grabs Hubbard’s arms and wrestles him to the ground as Tirado jumps out of the car and rushes over.
Amiott is seen bashing Hubbard’s head against the pavement several times and then punching him in the head more than a dozen times as Hubbard tries to defend himself.
Charges filed against Hubbard and Tirado were eventually dismissed.
Euclid police had received previous reports about Amiott's behavior. He was fired by the city in October 2017. An arbitrator gave him his job back in October 2018.
Ohio city to pay couple $450K to settle police abuse lawsuit
CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland suburb has agreed to pay a couple $450,000 to settle a...
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New Jersey Settles with Women Prisoners Who Say They Were Sexually Assaulted Behind Bars - Legal Reader
New Jersey has agreed to pay $21 million to settle a lawsuit filed by several women who claim they were sexually assaulted while serving sentences at the state’s only all-women prison.
www.legalreader.com
Iowa to pay $225,000 to settle lawsuit over trooper's use of force during 2017 traffic stop
Associated Press
Iowa will pay $225,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was injured when a state trooper knocked him over and put his knee on his neck during a 2017 traffic stop, according to documents released Monday.
The payment to Bryce Yakish ends a lawsuit he filed against the state and former Iowa State Patrol trooper Robert Smith in 2019, months after a sheriff released dash camera video of the arrest. The lawsuit alleged that Smith assaulted and falsely arrested Yakish, lying about what happened.
The case also prompted scrutiny into other allegations of misconduct against Smith, who left the patrol in 2018 after a 30-year career. He was later hired as an officer in the small town of Durant, but resigned after the video's release. Smith was also accused of using excessive force against a woman during an arrest in Durant.
Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington released the video in 2019 after announcing that he would no longer book any suspects arrested by Smith at his jail because he could not vouch for the officer's credibility. Prosecutors also dismissed several cases brought by Smith, saying he was no longer a credible witness.
Wethington said Monday that federal agents contacted him during an investigation of Smith, and that the inquiry appears to remain open. Federal court documents show a grand jury has been investigating allegations of civil rights violations against an unidentified trooper.
One of Yakish's attorneys, Martin Diaz, said the state produced Smith's personnel file during the litigation but declined to comment on its contents, saying they are subject to a confidentiality order.
Diaz praised the state for settling the case.
“I think the behavior of the trooper in this case was so over the top that we just didn’t get the pushback we normally would,” he said. “The state recognized it had a problem and I think the resolution is a good one.”
Associated Press
Iowa will pay $225,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was injured when a state trooper knocked him over and put his knee on his neck during a 2017 traffic stop, according to documents released Monday.
The payment to Bryce Yakish ends a lawsuit he filed against the state and former Iowa State Patrol trooper Robert Smith in 2019, months after a sheriff released dash camera video of the arrest. The lawsuit alleged that Smith assaulted and falsely arrested Yakish, lying about what happened.
The case also prompted scrutiny into other allegations of misconduct against Smith, who left the patrol in 2018 after a 30-year career. He was later hired as an officer in the small town of Durant, but resigned after the video's release. Smith was also accused of using excessive force against a woman during an arrest in Durant.
Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington released the video in 2019 after announcing that he would no longer book any suspects arrested by Smith at his jail because he could not vouch for the officer's credibility. Prosecutors also dismissed several cases brought by Smith, saying he was no longer a credible witness.
Wethington said Monday that federal agents contacted him during an investigation of Smith, and that the inquiry appears to remain open. Federal court documents show a grand jury has been investigating allegations of civil rights violations against an unidentified trooper.
One of Yakish's attorneys, Martin Diaz, said the state produced Smith's personnel file during the litigation but declined to comment on its contents, saying they are subject to a confidentiality order.
Diaz praised the state for settling the case.
“I think the behavior of the trooper in this case was so over the top that we just didn’t get the pushback we normally would,” he said. “The state recognized it had a problem and I think the resolution is a good one.”
Update
Former Keller officer indicted over arrest that led to lawsuit by pepper-sprayed man
Blake Travis Shimanek, who resigned from the police force in February, is charged with official oppression.
A former Keller police officer has been indicted on a charge of official oppression over an arrest last summer during which he ordered another officer to pepper-spray a man who was recording his son’s traffic stop.
A Tarrant County grand jury handed up the indictment against Blake Travis Shimanek, 32, on Friday. The indictment alleges that he intentionally subjected the man to an arrest and mistreatment that he knew to be unlawful.
Shimanek could not immediately be reached for comment and did not have an attorney listed in court records.
Shimanek, who was demoted from the rank of sergeant after an internal investigation, resigned from the force in February.
Body-cam video of the Aug. 15 arrest went viral, leading to calls that Shimanek be fired and face criminal charges.
Shimanek faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 if convicted of official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor.
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L.A. to pay nearly $1.6 million to settle three lawsuits alleging police wrongdoing
During roughly the past 5½ years, the city has paid out more than $245 million to resolve legal claims involving the LAPD.
www.latimes.com
PORTLAND, Ore. — A woman shoved and hit by a Portland police officer last year said she wanted the mayor to more forcefully condemn cases of violence involving officers, the same day her attorneys announced a $50,000 settlement with the city over her case.
Teri Jacobs shared that in a letter to the mayor this week. Video, shared with KATU by Full Rev Media, showed an officer pushing her to the ground before hitting her on the head with his baton. The director of the Independent Police Review confirmed his office is reviewing the incident.
"I’m doing my very best to get to the sidewalk, and it feels like it doesn’t matter where I am, what I do, these police officers are going to run me over, ram into me,” Jacobs said of the August incident.
The incident happened last year after police declared a riot outside the Multnomah Building in Southeast Portland. Jacobs said she was carrying a press badge and tried to get out of the way. She said she was helping a friend who had fallen in the middle of the road.
Jacobs said it left her with back and head injuries and also broke her camera. She said she didn't realize until later what had happened to her.
“I really wasn’t aware of what was happening or the pain that I was in until I was on the sidewalk, and then I realized like, whoa, my back, my head, like what just happened there,” Jacobs said.
This announcement of the settlement from Jacobs' attorneys followed a recent letter sent to the city by the Department of Justice in March.
KATU Investigates obtained the letter, which highlighted a couple instances when police leaders excused use of force incidents from last summer.
DOJ lawyers said one commander had a "fundamentally flawed understanding of the constitutional and policy standard for use of force... This basic misunderstanding of constitutional limits on force reflects a failure of the city’s accountability structure.”
Though the letter did not mention Jacobs' case, it raised questions about how the police bureau ultimately holds officers accountable.
“Ted Wheeler is constantly saying that the protesters are violent criminals, and he needs to hold the police officers accountable who are hurting people,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs said Mayor Wheeler could do more to condemn actions like this, but the mayor has previously said his role in the discipline process prohibited him from commenting on specific incidents.
katu.com
Teri Jacobs shared that in a letter to the mayor this week. Video, shared with KATU by Full Rev Media, showed an officer pushing her to the ground before hitting her on the head with his baton. The director of the Independent Police Review confirmed his office is reviewing the incident.
"I’m doing my very best to get to the sidewalk, and it feels like it doesn’t matter where I am, what I do, these police officers are going to run me over, ram into me,” Jacobs said of the August incident.
The incident happened last year after police declared a riot outside the Multnomah Building in Southeast Portland. Jacobs said she was carrying a press badge and tried to get out of the way. She said she was helping a friend who had fallen in the middle of the road.
Jacobs said it left her with back and head injuries and also broke her camera. She said she didn't realize until later what had happened to her.
“I really wasn’t aware of what was happening or the pain that I was in until I was on the sidewalk, and then I realized like, whoa, my back, my head, like what just happened there,” Jacobs said.
This announcement of the settlement from Jacobs' attorneys followed a recent letter sent to the city by the Department of Justice in March.
KATU Investigates obtained the letter, which highlighted a couple instances when police leaders excused use of force incidents from last summer.
DOJ lawyers said one commander had a "fundamentally flawed understanding of the constitutional and policy standard for use of force... This basic misunderstanding of constitutional limits on force reflects a failure of the city’s accountability structure.”
Though the letter did not mention Jacobs' case, it raised questions about how the police bureau ultimately holds officers accountable.
“Ted Wheeler is constantly saying that the protesters are violent criminals, and he needs to hold the police officers accountable who are hurting people,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs said Mayor Wheeler could do more to condemn actions like this, but the mayor has previously said his role in the discipline process prohibited him from commenting on specific incidents.
Photographer shoved, hit by Portland police officer announces settlement with city
A woman shoved and hit by a Portland police officer last year said she wanted the mayor to more forcefully condemn cases of violence involving officers, the same day her attorneys announced a $50,000 settlement with the city over her case. Teri Jacobs shared that in a letter to the mayor this...
katu.com
This should be interesting, and hopefully not too disappointing.
$1.75M settlement announced in 2015 assault of Indian grandfather involving Madison police
MADISON, Ala. (WAFF) - In 2015, Sureshbai Patel was visiting his son, daughter-in-law and disabled grandson when he was injured by a former Madison police officer. Today, Patel’s lawyer announced the case is formally dismissed.
Hank Sherrod is Patel’s lawyer, and on April 8, Sherrod confirmed the insurance company for the City of Madison paid Patel $1.75M to settle Patel’s federal lawsuit stemming from the 2015 assault of Patel by former Madison police officer Eric Parker.
Patel is a citizen of India and was visiting family in Madison during February of 2015. Records show Patel was walking in his son’s neighborhood when he was contacted by two Madison police officers, a new officer going through field training and his training officer, Eric Parker.
Officers were responding to a report from a neighbor about who saw “Patel as a skinny black male who did not belong in the neighborhood.”
A release from Sherrod states when officers saw Patel, the trainee initiated the confrontation, when Parker intervened, put Patel’s hands behind his back, patted Patel down, and then took Patel to the ground headfirst using a leg sweep.
As a result, Patel suffered a serious spinal cord injury. Patel had to have surgery, go through rehabilitation and now requires a walker.
Video of the assault was made public and sparked national and international media attention.
Parker was charged with violating federal criminal civil rights laws. After two hung juries, the federal judge over the criminal trial acquitted Parker in 2016.
Parker was recommended for termination by the City of Madison police chief and placed on paid leave shortly after the incident, following dismissal of the criminal charges, the City reinstated Parker. Parker currently works for another police department in Alabama.
Patel’s civil lawsuit was vigorously defended by the City of Madison and Parker
“Not holding Parker accountable for his excessive use of force and allowing him to continue as a police officer is a fundamental failure of accountability, by both the City of Madison and our criminal justice system,” said Sherrod. “While we are glad Patel has received compensation for his injuries, no one, and especially not government actors, should be above accountability. Mr. Patel is glad to put this behind him. He appreciates all the support he has received from people all over the world. Mr. Patel credits his Hindu faith for giving him strength and peace throughout this ordeal.”
MADISON, Ala. (WAFF) - In 2015, Sureshbai Patel was visiting his son, daughter-in-law and disabled grandson when he was injured by a former Madison police officer. Today, Patel’s lawyer announced the case is formally dismissed.
Hank Sherrod is Patel’s lawyer, and on April 8, Sherrod confirmed the insurance company for the City of Madison paid Patel $1.75M to settle Patel’s federal lawsuit stemming from the 2015 assault of Patel by former Madison police officer Eric Parker.
Patel is a citizen of India and was visiting family in Madison during February of 2015. Records show Patel was walking in his son’s neighborhood when he was contacted by two Madison police officers, a new officer going through field training and his training officer, Eric Parker.
Officers were responding to a report from a neighbor about who saw “Patel as a skinny black male who did not belong in the neighborhood.”
A release from Sherrod states when officers saw Patel, the trainee initiated the confrontation, when Parker intervened, put Patel’s hands behind his back, patted Patel down, and then took Patel to the ground headfirst using a leg sweep.
As a result, Patel suffered a serious spinal cord injury. Patel had to have surgery, go through rehabilitation and now requires a walker.
Video of the assault was made public and sparked national and international media attention.
Parker was charged with violating federal criminal civil rights laws. After two hung juries, the federal judge over the criminal trial acquitted Parker in 2016.
Parker was recommended for termination by the City of Madison police chief and placed on paid leave shortly after the incident, following dismissal of the criminal charges, the City reinstated Parker. Parker currently works for another police department in Alabama.
Patel’s civil lawsuit was vigorously defended by the City of Madison and Parker
“Not holding Parker accountable for his excessive use of force and allowing him to continue as a police officer is a fundamental failure of accountability, by both the City of Madison and our criminal justice system,” said Sherrod. “While we are glad Patel has received compensation for his injuries, no one, and especially not government actors, should be above accountability. Mr. Patel is glad to put this behind him. He appreciates all the support he has received from people all over the world. Mr. Patel credits his Hindu faith for giving him strength and peace throughout this ordeal.”
Bellevue police agree to $125,000 settlement after a call for a welfare check ends with handcuffs, a criminal charge and injury
A federal lawsuit alleged a Bellevue Police Department policy that allowed officers to enter a home and take into custody anyone they believed to be a danger to themselves is unconstitutional.
www.seattletimes.com
i remember when this happened. How the fuck that cop didn't go to jail for that shit is beyond me. We will be hearing about him hurting or killing someone else at some point.
fuck that settlement. He almost paralyzed that dude for absolutely no reason other than thinking he was taking down a black-man.
City approves $45k settlement in police lawsuit, expert calls it a 'business decision'
BALTIMORE, MD (WBFF) - Baltimore City’s Board of estimates approved a settlement Wednesday for an excessive-force lawsuit against a Baltimore City Police officer.
The decision to settles comes even after a Federal Court deemed the woman’s 2016 arrest to be ‘lawful,’ according to an attorney for officers involved.
The woman will receive a $45,000 dollar payout.
The settlement was approved unanimously.
The woman was arrested in 2016 and later claimed excessive force by an officer.
She claimed she had neck and pack pain after the incident.
“The arrest was found by the Federal Court to have been lawful with probable cause,” said Chaz Ball, an attorney for the Baltimore Police Officers named in the lawsuit. “The only remaining claim was to the use of excessive force under 1983 and the failure to intervene as to the other two officers.”
There was an internal investigation and the officers listed in the lawsuit were not disciplined, according to discussions during Wednesday’s Board of Estimates meeting.
A former Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner says its not unusual for the City to settle a case instead of going to court.
“What that leads me to believe is that the decision to settle the case is just a pure business decision -- its done on the basis of what lawyers call the ‘nuisance value’ of the case,” said Jason Johnson.
Johnson tells FOX45 News the $45,000 dollar settlement is not particularly large.
“Instead of expending those funds on defending the case, they simply engage in a settlement which is simply a risk limiting strategy,” said Johnson.
Johnson, however, says settlements like this are pad for morale within the department and leave a cloud over these officers – even after a Federal Court deemed the arrest lawful.
“You encourage additional lawsuits against the City and against the police department,” said Johnson.
BALTIMORE, MD (WBFF) - Baltimore City’s Board of estimates approved a settlement Wednesday for an excessive-force lawsuit against a Baltimore City Police officer.
The decision to settles comes even after a Federal Court deemed the woman’s 2016 arrest to be ‘lawful,’ according to an attorney for officers involved.
The woman will receive a $45,000 dollar payout.
The settlement was approved unanimously.
The woman was arrested in 2016 and later claimed excessive force by an officer.
She claimed she had neck and pack pain after the incident.
“The arrest was found by the Federal Court to have been lawful with probable cause,” said Chaz Ball, an attorney for the Baltimore Police Officers named in the lawsuit. “The only remaining claim was to the use of excessive force under 1983 and the failure to intervene as to the other two officers.”
There was an internal investigation and the officers listed in the lawsuit were not disciplined, according to discussions during Wednesday’s Board of Estimates meeting.
A former Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner says its not unusual for the City to settle a case instead of going to court.
“What that leads me to believe is that the decision to settle the case is just a pure business decision -- its done on the basis of what lawyers call the ‘nuisance value’ of the case,” said Jason Johnson.
Johnson tells FOX45 News the $45,000 dollar settlement is not particularly large.
“Instead of expending those funds on defending the case, they simply engage in a settlement which is simply a risk limiting strategy,” said Johnson.
Johnson, however, says settlements like this are pad for morale within the department and leave a cloud over these officers – even after a Federal Court deemed the arrest lawful.
“You encourage additional lawsuits against the City and against the police department,” said Johnson.
Man to receive $55K settlement after claiming Pittsburgh police violated his civil rights in 2013 Homewood arrest
The city will pay a $55,000 settlement to a man who claimed Pittsburgh police violated his civil rights outside a Homewood convenience store more than seven years ago.
City Council unanimously approved the settlement for Will El. Mr. El, 22 at the time, was arrested along with his brother Beyshaud El, then 19, outside the store in 2013 when police approached them to see if they were old enough to buy cigarettes.
In a 2015 federal lawsuit filed against a dozen Pittsburgh officers, the brothers claimed their civil rights were violated after police used a Taser on one of them and roughed them up without cause.
Police at the time claimed that Will had “balled his hand into a fist” and tried to throw a punch at one of them, according to the criminal complaint. Officers then pushed him against a wall.
According to a video, when Beyshaud stood to help, the same officer used a Taser on him until he became unconscious.
Police initially charged the men with aggravated assault against an officer because, they said, the men fought with two officers. The district attorney’s office later reduced the charge against the brothers to disorderly conduct after reviewing the footage.
Mr. El was represented by Pittsburgh-based attorney Todd Hollis.
The city had no comment.
The city will pay a $55,000 settlement to a man who claimed Pittsburgh police violated his civil rights outside a Homewood convenience store more than seven years ago.
City Council unanimously approved the settlement for Will El. Mr. El, 22 at the time, was arrested along with his brother Beyshaud El, then 19, outside the store in 2013 when police approached them to see if they were old enough to buy cigarettes.
In a 2015 federal lawsuit filed against a dozen Pittsburgh officers, the brothers claimed their civil rights were violated after police used a Taser on one of them and roughed them up without cause.
Police at the time claimed that Will had “balled his hand into a fist” and tried to throw a punch at one of them, according to the criminal complaint. Officers then pushed him against a wall.
According to a video, when Beyshaud stood to help, the same officer used a Taser on him until he became unconscious.
Police initially charged the men with aggravated assault against an officer because, they said, the men fought with two officers. The district attorney’s office later reduced the charge against the brothers to disorderly conduct after reviewing the footage.
Mr. El was represented by Pittsburgh-based attorney Todd Hollis.
The city had no comment.
Appeals court finds judge erred in wiping out $38 million verdict over police shooting of Korryn Gaines
A Baltimore County judge was wrong to overturn a jury verdict awarding $38 million to the family of Korryn Gaines, the 23-year-old Randallstown woman who was shot and killed by county police in 201…
www.baltimoresun.com
Korryn Gaines: The 6-hour police standoff
Explore newly released evidence in the police standoff and death of #KorrynGaines
data.baltimoresun.com
This is way before George Floyd.
Moreover, this thread should only be dedicated to black people (victims of racism/white supremacy).
I started this thread to talk about settlements(not the crimes made before) after George Floyd. This one just happened
Policing in America is a white supremist system.
I'm posting everything so everyone can compare or contrast how fast settlements are made, what the police did and how much we are all on the hook for this. Why should I make this thread to narrow it to be just a memorial to black people?
To be fair, they did what they did because they thought he was a foreign black dude.
Because its the just thing to do.
We already know enough about white people and how the system is on their side because it was created by them.
HONOLULU (AP) — The Honolulu City Council has approved a $150,000 settlement in a lawsuit alleging a police officer unlawfully arrested his son’s classmate.
The family’s federal lawsuit alleged that Officer Kirk Uemura had the teen arrested because the teen and the officer’s son were at odds and had fought after school in 2018.
Uemura couldn’t be reached for comment. Representatives for the city and the police department didn’t immediately comment on the settlement Tuesday.
A police spokeswoman previously said Uemura was disciplined but didn’t provide details. An attorney for the boy’s family says the officer was suspended for one day.
The family’s federal lawsuit alleged that Officer Kirk Uemura had the teen arrested because the teen and the officer’s son were at odds and had fought after school in 2018.
Uemura couldn’t be reached for comment. Representatives for the city and the police department didn’t immediately comment on the settlement Tuesday.
A police spokeswoman previously said Uemura was disciplined but didn’t provide details. An attorney for the boy’s family says the officer was suspended for one day.
Family of man killed by Fresno police to receive $4.4 million settlement
Taxpayers will have to cover the first $3 million of the settlement.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The family of a man killed by Fresno police in 2015 will receive a $4.4 million settlement from the city of Fresno.
An officer shot and killed Casimero Casillas inside his home after following him there for a seat belt violation.
In a 2019 wrongful death trial, a jury awarded the family more than $5 million, including attorney's fees, but the city appealed the decision.
City leaders have since reached an agreement with the family and attorney Bill Schmidt in which the city will pay slightly less to settle the case.
Taxpayers will have to cover the first $3 million of the settlement.
Taxpayers will have to cover the first $3 million of the settlement.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The family of a man killed by Fresno police in 2015 will receive a $4.4 million settlement from the city of Fresno.
An officer shot and killed Casimero Casillas inside his home after following him there for a seat belt violation.
In a 2019 wrongful death trial, a jury awarded the family more than $5 million, including attorney's fees, but the city appealed the decision.
City leaders have since reached an agreement with the family and attorney Bill Schmidt in which the city will pay slightly less to settle the case.
Taxpayers will have to cover the first $3 million of the settlement.
Women who sued Ann Arbor police for breaking down their door get $50K in settlement
ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit against its police department for $50,000 after officers were accused of unlawfully breaking down the door of a home while two women were asleep inside.
“We can’t apologize enough to the family,” Police Chief Michael Cox said this week, acknowledging police went to the wrong address when responding to a 911 call.
“When you make a mistake, you need to own it, and we own it. We went into the wrong house and that shouldn’t have occurred, no matter what circumstances there were.”
Sarah and Shallan Wimberly brought their case against the city Dec. 21, alleging Ann Arbor police violated their civil rights by entering their residence Nov. 29 without lawful authority or consent and caused emotional distress.
“Plaintiffs, both Black women, were asleep in their home ... when they were awakened by a frightening crash at their front door” and they “cowered in their night clothes as intruding officers pointed weapons and lights at them,” the lawsuit stated.
That was a clear violation of their constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable entry into their home and deprived them of their rights to privacy and liberty, the lawsuit stated, calling the officers’ actions malicious and reckless.
The lawsuit named as defendants Ann Arbor Police Sgt. David Ried, Police Officer James Burton, the city and two other police officers identified as John Doe and John Doe 2.
Ried is the officer who fatally shot Aura Rosser, a 40-year-old Black woman, while responding to a domestic dispute inside an Ann Arbor home in 2014. The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office determined the shooting was justified since Rosser reportedly approached officers with a knife.
ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit against its police department for $50,000 after officers were accused of unlawfully breaking down the door of a home while two women were asleep inside.
“We can’t apologize enough to the family,” Police Chief Michael Cox said this week, acknowledging police went to the wrong address when responding to a 911 call.
“When you make a mistake, you need to own it, and we own it. We went into the wrong house and that shouldn’t have occurred, no matter what circumstances there were.”
Sarah and Shallan Wimberly brought their case against the city Dec. 21, alleging Ann Arbor police violated their civil rights by entering their residence Nov. 29 without lawful authority or consent and caused emotional distress.
“Plaintiffs, both Black women, were asleep in their home ... when they were awakened by a frightening crash at their front door” and they “cowered in their night clothes as intruding officers pointed weapons and lights at them,” the lawsuit stated.
That was a clear violation of their constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable entry into their home and deprived them of their rights to privacy and liberty, the lawsuit stated, calling the officers’ actions malicious and reckless.
The lawsuit named as defendants Ann Arbor Police Sgt. David Ried, Police Officer James Burton, the city and two other police officers identified as John Doe and John Doe 2.
Ried is the officer who fatally shot Aura Rosser, a 40-year-old Black woman, while responding to a domestic dispute inside an Ann Arbor home in 2014. The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office determined the shooting was justified since Rosser reportedly approached officers with a knife.
In the November 2020 incident at the Wimberly residence in southeast Ann Arbor, the lawsuit alleges police posed a danger to the two women.
The officers’ conduct was “willful and wanton and constituted a course of action which shows an actual or deliberate intention to cause harm or which, if not intentional, shows an utter indifference to or conscious disregard for the safety of others and/or their property,” the lawsuit stated.
“The conduct of defendants in entering and pointing guns at the residents is generally associated with a risk of serious injuries. Numerous prior injuries have occurred to civilians in this context. Officers failed to take reasonable precautions after having knowledge of impending danger to plaintiffs.”
Rather than fight the complaint, City Council voted unanimously to authorize a legal settlement at its March 15 meeting.
As a result, the case was resolved and dismissed March 18 by Judge Paul Borman, U.S. District Court records show.
City Attorney Stephen Postema said the plaintiffs, who are mother and daughter, each were awarded $25,000.
Postema and Cox both explained in detail what led police to break down the door that night.
“This incident took place when the police were responding to an emergency 911 call claiming a home invasion in progress at another apartment in the same general building complex, and with that resident specifically consenting for the police to break down the door to immediately aid them,” Postema said.
When police entered, they realized the error and officers immediately apologized and went to the right address, Postema said, adding police also stayed with the mother and daughter and their door was fixed the next day.
The person who called 911 was frantically asking for help and police mistakenly entered the wrong home even while going back and forth with the caller, Cox said.
“And going into the wrong home, there is no excuse for that,” he said. “It was dark, the street signage was pretty poor, but it was still wrong, and so for that we tremendously apologize to the family. I do want to say on behalf of the police department we made a mistake and this is something we need to do better with, even though it was an honest mistake.”
The city acknowledges the distress caused and the $50,000 is to aid the plaintiffs in their healing, Postema said.
“Certainly we recognize the unusual situation that happened in this case,” he said.
The mother and daughter could not be reached for comment. Their attorney, Thomas Randolph, did not respond to requests for comment.
The lawsuit also alleged the Ann Arbor Police Department lacked adequate training for officers.
Cox said he doesn’t know if training was a factor, since police were responding to an urgent call for help and truly believed they were in the right location.
“But still, we kind of violated somebody’s home in the process. For that, we truly apologize,” he said.
“We need to do better and we’re going to work on making sure that doesn’t happen again in some way by just looking at policies and other things in place to make sure when we go into a place it’s the right place.”
When police went to the right address, they didn’t find any evidence of a burglary in progress, Cox said, adding he has no reason to believe the people who called 911 weren’t truly frightened and didn’t truly believe a home invasion occurred.
The officers’ conduct was “willful and wanton and constituted a course of action which shows an actual or deliberate intention to cause harm or which, if not intentional, shows an utter indifference to or conscious disregard for the safety of others and/or their property,” the lawsuit stated.
“The conduct of defendants in entering and pointing guns at the residents is generally associated with a risk of serious injuries. Numerous prior injuries have occurred to civilians in this context. Officers failed to take reasonable precautions after having knowledge of impending danger to plaintiffs.”
Rather than fight the complaint, City Council voted unanimously to authorize a legal settlement at its March 15 meeting.
As a result, the case was resolved and dismissed March 18 by Judge Paul Borman, U.S. District Court records show.
City Attorney Stephen Postema said the plaintiffs, who are mother and daughter, each were awarded $25,000.
Postema and Cox both explained in detail what led police to break down the door that night.
“This incident took place when the police were responding to an emergency 911 call claiming a home invasion in progress at another apartment in the same general building complex, and with that resident specifically consenting for the police to break down the door to immediately aid them,” Postema said.
When police entered, they realized the error and officers immediately apologized and went to the right address, Postema said, adding police also stayed with the mother and daughter and their door was fixed the next day.
The person who called 911 was frantically asking for help and police mistakenly entered the wrong home even while going back and forth with the caller, Cox said.
“And going into the wrong home, there is no excuse for that,” he said. “It was dark, the street signage was pretty poor, but it was still wrong, and so for that we tremendously apologize to the family. I do want to say on behalf of the police department we made a mistake and this is something we need to do better with, even though it was an honest mistake.”
The city acknowledges the distress caused and the $50,000 is to aid the plaintiffs in their healing, Postema said.
“Certainly we recognize the unusual situation that happened in this case,” he said.
The mother and daughter could not be reached for comment. Their attorney, Thomas Randolph, did not respond to requests for comment.
The lawsuit also alleged the Ann Arbor Police Department lacked adequate training for officers.
Cox said he doesn’t know if training was a factor, since police were responding to an urgent call for help and truly believed they were in the right location.
“But still, we kind of violated somebody’s home in the process. For that, we truly apologize,” he said.
“We need to do better and we’re going to work on making sure that doesn’t happen again in some way by just looking at policies and other things in place to make sure when we go into a place it’s the right place.”
When police went to the right address, they didn’t find any evidence of a burglary in progress, Cox said, adding he has no reason to believe the people who called 911 weren’t truly frightened and didn’t truly believe a home invasion occurred.
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Portland approves $2.1M wrongful death settlement in police killing of Quanice Hayes
The city of Portland unanimously agreed Wednesday to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Quanice Hayes, a Black teenager who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2017 while on his knees.
The city has agreed to pay $1.5 million to the Hayes family, as well as nearly $600,000 in attorneys fees and additional costs. As part of the agreement, the city admits no wrongdoing.
Despite no formal acknowledgement of wrongdoing, a majority of council members used the session to apologize to the Hayes family for both the shooting and how city officials had conducted themselves in the aftermath.
Hayes’ family filed its lawsuit in June 2018 against both the city and Hearst, alleging the officer’s use of deadly force was “unreasonable and unjustifiable.” In response, the city attorney’s office pinned part of the blame for the death on Hayes and his mother, arguing Hayes was partially at fault because he’d ingested cocaine and not slept enough before the shooting.
The city of Portland unanimously agreed Wednesday to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Quanice Hayes, a Black teenager who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2017 while on his knees.
The city has agreed to pay $1.5 million to the Hayes family, as well as nearly $600,000 in attorneys fees and additional costs. As part of the agreement, the city admits no wrongdoing.
Despite no formal acknowledgement of wrongdoing, a majority of council members used the session to apologize to the Hayes family for both the shooting and how city officials had conducted themselves in the aftermath.
“I genuinely hope this settlement provides some level of relief after all the trauma and hardship the Hayes family has had to endure,” said Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. “But let me be clear: what is happening today is not justice. It’s not accountability. This decision does nothing to fix our broken system.”
On Feb. 9, 2017, Officer Andrew Hearst shot Hayes, 17, three times with an AR-15 rifle from about 10 feet away as Hayes was on his knees with his arms raised. Police had cornered Hayes in a driveway in Northeast Portland following reports of armed carjackings in the area. Hayes was not armed when Hearst killed him. Police later found a replica gun nearby.
“Every time this happens we know we are not seeing justice,” Hardesty said. “This is harming our community and making it increasingly difficult for Portlanders to trust their police bureau.”
Hardesty’s lengthy statement was punctuated by an audible disturbance outside her house that could be overheard on the video meeting. Her office said police had responded to a man who had been protesting the commissioner outside her home. The man was reportedly yelling at neighbors, who came out to defend the commissioner.
Sergeant Kevin Allen, with the Portland Police Bureau, said they received a call around 2:30 p.m. after someone was reportedly sprayed with bear mace. They arrested Eli F. Richey, 40, and booked him into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of unlawful use of mace in the second degree and assault in the fourth degree.
Allen said the officers did not have contact with Hardesty. Her office said she remained in her home while the disturbance was taking place.
On Feb. 9, 2017, Officer Andrew Hearst shot Hayes, 17, three times with an AR-15 rifle from about 10 feet away as Hayes was on his knees with his arms raised. Police had cornered Hayes in a driveway in Northeast Portland following reports of armed carjackings in the area. Hayes was not armed when Hearst killed him. Police later found a replica gun nearby.
“Every time this happens we know we are not seeing justice,” Hardesty said. “This is harming our community and making it increasingly difficult for Portlanders to trust their police bureau.”
Hardesty’s lengthy statement was punctuated by an audible disturbance outside her house that could be overheard on the video meeting. Her office said police had responded to a man who had been protesting the commissioner outside her home. The man was reportedly yelling at neighbors, who came out to defend the commissioner.
Sergeant Kevin Allen, with the Portland Police Bureau, said they received a call around 2:30 p.m. after someone was reportedly sprayed with bear mace. They arrested Eli F. Richey, 40, and booked him into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of unlawful use of mace in the second degree and assault in the fourth degree.
Allen said the officers did not have contact with Hardesty. Her office said she remained in her home while the disturbance was taking place.
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Hayward Council Approves $3.3M Settlement In Fatal Police Shooting Of Agustin Gonsalez
HAYWARD (BCN) – A $3.3 million legal settlement was approved Tuesday by Hayward city councilmembers over the police killing of a man holding the blade of a box cutter, attorneys for the man’s family and city officials said.
But two officers fired their guns multiple times because Gonsalez ignored the commands and approached the officer at an unsafe distance, police said. Gonsalez died later at a hospital.
Burris said Hayward officials refused to tell Gonsalez’s mother whether her son was dead and/or where the body was.
“This was unforgivable,” Burris said.
Hayward officials said the city admits no wrongdoing in the case even though they are settling it.
The settlement is a way to meet the economic needs of Gonsalez’s two children, according to the city.
HAYWARD (BCN) – A $3.3 million legal settlement was approved Tuesday by Hayward city councilmembers over the police killing of a man holding the blade of a box cutter, attorneys for the man’s family and city officials said.
Agustin Gonsalez, 29, of Lathrop, was hit by multiple bullets fired by Officers Phillip Wooley and Michael Clark of Hayward police. The two officers fired a total of 13 rounds, according to attorneys and police.
Neither officer will be criminally charged, Alameda County prosecutors said in 2019 after reviewing the case.
“The officers claim that they felt threatened because they believed that Augustin had a knife, but this was disproved when it was determined that he only had a 1/2-inch box cutter blade, which he did not threaten to use against the officers,” said attorney John Burris, who with attorney Ben Nisenbaum, brought the federal civil rights case against the city of Hayward.
Burris also said the officers had a chance to use their Tasers before firing their guns.
Hayward police said that three officers responded to the 24600 block of Oneil Avenue at about 9 p.m., Nov. 15, 2018. Police said they had received a call that a man was brandishing a knife.
The caller said Gonsalez, who was his neighbor’s ex-boyfriend, threatened him with a knife and was acting erratically, according to police. When the three officers arrived, Gonsalez was standing in the street, police said.
One officer got out of his car and from about 10 to 15 feet ordered Gonsalez to drop the object in his hand, police said. The officer repeated those orders as Gonsalez allegedly approached him with the object in his right hand, according to police.
Neither officer will be criminally charged, Alameda County prosecutors said in 2019 after reviewing the case.
“The officers claim that they felt threatened because they believed that Augustin had a knife, but this was disproved when it was determined that he only had a 1/2-inch box cutter blade, which he did not threaten to use against the officers,” said attorney John Burris, who with attorney Ben Nisenbaum, brought the federal civil rights case against the city of Hayward.
Burris also said the officers had a chance to use their Tasers before firing their guns.
Hayward police said that three officers responded to the 24600 block of Oneil Avenue at about 9 p.m., Nov. 15, 2018. Police said they had received a call that a man was brandishing a knife.
The caller said Gonsalez, who was his neighbor’s ex-boyfriend, threatened him with a knife and was acting erratically, according to police. When the three officers arrived, Gonsalez was standing in the street, police said.
One officer got out of his car and from about 10 to 15 feet ordered Gonsalez to drop the object in his hand, police said. The officer repeated those orders as Gonsalez allegedly approached him with the object in his right hand, according to police.
But two officers fired their guns multiple times because Gonsalez ignored the commands and approached the officer at an unsafe distance, police said. Gonsalez died later at a hospital.
Burris said Hayward officials refused to tell Gonsalez’s mother whether her son was dead and/or where the body was.
“This was unforgivable,” Burris said.
Hayward officials said the city admits no wrongdoing in the case even though they are settling it.
The settlement is a way to meet the economic needs of Gonsalez’s two children, according to the city.
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City releases $5 million settlement agreement with Black officer beaten during protest
Five St. Louis police officers have been federally indicted for beating Officer Luther Hall during a 2017 protest
ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis will pay $5 million to a Black police officer who was assaulted in 2017 by white officers while working undercover during a protest, according to a settlement agreement obtained by 5 On Your Side.
Officer Luther Hall was working undercover during the protests that followed the acquittal of a police officer who had been charged with the 2011 murder of a Black drug suspect.
Five St. Louis police officers have been federally indicted for beating Officer Luther Hall during a 2017 protest
ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis will pay $5 million to a Black police officer who was assaulted in 2017 by white officers while working undercover during a protest, according to a settlement agreement obtained by 5 On Your Side.
Officer Luther Hall was working undercover during the protests that followed the acquittal of a police officer who had been charged with the 2011 murder of a Black drug suspect.
Five officers have been federally indicted for their alleged roles in the beating and are not included in the city's settlement. The city has 45 days to pay Hall, according to the agreement.
The agreement was signed by Mayor Lyda Krewson, Lt. Col. Lawrence O'Toole and Sgt. Joseph Marcantano, so the civil claims he's filed against the officers accused of beating him are ongoing.
In his civil lawsuit against the city, Hall claimed Krewson made a comment about how he had messed up his “cute face,” during an elevator ride following the attack and later denied knowing about the assault.
He also claimed fellow officers tried to cover up the beating, during which Hall — a 22-year veteran of the police force — was kicked in the face, leaving him unable to eat.
He also suffered a tailbone injury and a 2-centimeter laceration above one of his lips. He also had surgery to repair herniated discs in his neck and back, according to the lawsuit.
He also accused Marcantano of participating in the beating, getting promoted to sergeant afterwards.
Officers Christopher Myers, Dustin Boone, Randy Hays and Bailey Colletta were federally indicted for their alleged roles in the assault first.
Federal prosecutors allege Boone, Hays and Myers threw Hall to the ground and kicked and hit him with a police baton. Colletta was indicted for lying to a grand jury.
In her guilty plea, Colletta said she and the other officers believed Hall was a protester and ordered him to his knees when the other officers tackled him.
In his lawsuit, Hall claimed he was investigating protesters who had damaged property downtown and saw officers fire bean bag rounds and use pepper spray on the crowd without justification.
Hall also claimed he did not hear police order the crowd to disperse before they used force.
A fifth officer, Steve Korte, was federally indicted in 2019 for civil rights violations and lying to the FBI by claiming he was not involved in Hall’s arrest.
Hall remains employed by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, but it's unclear whether he's returned to duty.
Other lawsuits are still pending against the City involving citizens who claim police officers also used unjustified force against them, especially during a technique known as "kettling" in which officers forced dozens of protesters together to arrest them. A St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter was among them.
O'Toole was acting police chief at the time, and drew criticism after declaring, "we owned the night" during a press conference following the mass arrests. Hall was beaten that same night.
The agreement was signed by Mayor Lyda Krewson, Lt. Col. Lawrence O'Toole and Sgt. Joseph Marcantano, so the civil claims he's filed against the officers accused of beating him are ongoing.
In his civil lawsuit against the city, Hall claimed Krewson made a comment about how he had messed up his “cute face,” during an elevator ride following the attack and later denied knowing about the assault.
He also claimed fellow officers tried to cover up the beating, during which Hall — a 22-year veteran of the police force — was kicked in the face, leaving him unable to eat.
He also suffered a tailbone injury and a 2-centimeter laceration above one of his lips. He also had surgery to repair herniated discs in his neck and back, according to the lawsuit.
He also accused Marcantano of participating in the beating, getting promoted to sergeant afterwards.
Officers Christopher Myers, Dustin Boone, Randy Hays and Bailey Colletta were federally indicted for their alleged roles in the assault first.
Federal prosecutors allege Boone, Hays and Myers threw Hall to the ground and kicked and hit him with a police baton. Colletta was indicted for lying to a grand jury.
In her guilty plea, Colletta said she and the other officers believed Hall was a protester and ordered him to his knees when the other officers tackled him.
In his lawsuit, Hall claimed he was investigating protesters who had damaged property downtown and saw officers fire bean bag rounds and use pepper spray on the crowd without justification.
Hall also claimed he did not hear police order the crowd to disperse before they used force.
A fifth officer, Steve Korte, was federally indicted in 2019 for civil rights violations and lying to the FBI by claiming he was not involved in Hall’s arrest.
Hall remains employed by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, but it's unclear whether he's returned to duty.
Other lawsuits are still pending against the City involving citizens who claim police officers also used unjustified force against them, especially during a technique known as "kettling" in which officers forced dozens of protesters together to arrest them. A St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter was among them.
O'Toole was acting police chief at the time, and drew criticism after declaring, "we owned the night" during a press conference following the mass arrests. Hall was beaten that same night.
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Family of man slain by Prince George’s police officer reaches $20 million settlement with county
September 28, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. CDT
Prince George’s County has agreed to pay the family of a man fatally shot by a police officer $20 million in what is believed to be among the nation’s largest one-time settlements involving someone killed by law enforcement.
The county settled with the family of 43-year-old William Green, who authorities say was shot six times with his hands cuffed behind his back in the front seat of a police cruiser by Cpl. Michael A. Owen Jr.
Owen was arrested the day after the Jan. 27 shooting and has been suspended without pay. He is awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder.
The agreement was reached between the administration of Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) and longtime Baltimore-based attorney William H. “Billy” Murphy.
September 28, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. CDT
Prince George’s County has agreed to pay the family of a man fatally shot by a police officer $20 million in what is believed to be among the nation’s largest one-time settlements involving someone killed by law enforcement.
The county settled with the family of 43-year-old William Green, who authorities say was shot six times with his hands cuffed behind his back in the front seat of a police cruiser by Cpl. Michael A. Owen Jr.
Owen was arrested the day after the Jan. 27 shooting and has been suspended without pay. He is awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder.
The agreement was reached between the administration of Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) and longtime Baltimore-based attorney William H. “Billy” Murphy.
“I agree with County Executive Alsobrooks that this historic settlement shows that the Black life of William Green and the Black lives of his grieving mother, son and daughter truly matter,” Murphy said. “Black lives matter.”
“Police are given by this community an awesome and tremendously difficult responsibility of protecting life,” she said. “They are also likewise given an authority that is not shared by anyone else in this community — and that is the authority to take life. . . . When that trust is abused, it is necessary to take swift and decisive action.”
The $20 million Prince George’s settlement is one of the biggest involving an African American killed by an on-duty officer in the United States, Murphy said. Those involved with the case said the hefty settlement was driven largely by the unprecedented details of the shooting, previously reported by The Washington Post, including red flags the department missed related to Owen’s history of using force and claims seeking workers’ compensation for psychological difficulties.
Alsobrooks said the $20 million will come from the county’s budget and had to be first approved by the county’s budget director.
“This is not the way we want to spend tax dollars, which is why we are doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again,” Alsobrooks said.
During the news conference in the county government office building in Largo, members of Green’s family joined Murphy, Alsobrooks and other officials. Shelly Green, Green’s daughter, said that while the settlement would never bring her father back, the family planned to use part of it to combat police brutality.
Green’s cousin Nikki Owens said the family was still grieving.
“This doesn’t bring justice,” she said of the settlement. “This doesn’t bring peace.”
On the evening Green was killed, police received a 911 call about a man driving a Buick who had struck several vehicles, starting in Silver Hill, Md. They found Green in the car nearby in Temple Hills.
Owen got Green out of the car, cuffed Green’s hands behind his back and placed him in the cruiser to wait for a drug recognition expert, according to police records and interviews. Owen is accused of firing seven shots a few minutes later, six of which hit Green, still handcuffed in the front seat.
Green, a father of two who worked as a Megabus luggage loader, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The next day, Owen was arrested and charged in Green’s killing. Owen is the county’s first police officer charged with murder while on duty, Alsobrooks said.
Owen, who was not wearing a police-issued body camera at the time of the shooting, told authorities that he had feared for his life because Green reached for his firearm. Prosecutors say there is no evidence that Green posed a serious threat.
On Monday, Owen attorney Thomas Mooney called the prosecutor’s decision to charge his client a “knee-jerk” reaction based on “unsubstantiated or discounted facts and hastily misguided assumptions.” Mooney said Owen looked forward to his trial, “where all the facts will be finally revealed and brought to light and justice will prevail.” Owen remains jailed until trial.
An investigation by The Post showed that the county police department’s early-warning system flagged Owen for using force twice in quick succession the summer before Green’s killing. But his supervisors were not formally notified until January, The Post found, and they did not take action ahead of Green’s killing.
Owen’s supervisors were unaware that he had sought workers’ compensation for psychological difficulties stemming from a fatal shooting early in his career, department officials said, even though Owen was supposed to notify them.
Green was at least the second person killed by Owen. On Dec. 17, 2011, Owen fatally shot 35-year-old Rodney Deron Edwards after Owen saw Edwards lying in a front yard in Landover, according to police. When Owen tried to investigate, Edwards pulled a gun, according to Owen’s written report. Owen shot Edwards. Edwards’s family disputed the account, although a loaded handgun was found at the scene.
It is unclear whether Owen was involved in another fatal shooting. He filed a state workers’ compensation claim as a result of the fatal shooting of a suspect in 2010. But police have said that they have no record of Owen’s being involved in a fatal shooting on that date. Owen began seeing a psychiatrist as a result of that shooting, workers’ compensation records show.
Alsobrooks said officials have closed the loophole that allowed Owen to receive workers’ compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder without his bosses knowing at the same time as he continued working — a lapse detailed in The Post’s investigation. She added that she created a police reform group dedicated to making significant recommendations to the department and that she will be engaged in discussions at the state level this winter.
A dozen high-profile fatal encounters that have galvanized protests
Retired Prince George’s County circuit judge Steven Platt, who served as the mediator in the case, said both sides recognized the facts were “uniformly bad” — and in fact worse than many higher-profile shootings and instances of police brutality that have occurred elsewhere in the country. Citing the Post investigation, Platt said warning signs about Owen missed by the department partly drove the settlement.
Murphy added that had the civil case gone to trial, the results could have been “catastrophic” for the county. But he said the family did not want to wait years for a trial to unfold, so a settlement was in the best interests of both parties.
Alsobrooks will issue a letter to the Green family “expressing regret the incident occurred” as part of the settlement and will allow the family to address the police-reform work group, the county said.
The Green settlement matches the amount the city of Minneapolis paid the family of Justine Ruszczyk last year after one of its officers at the time, Mohamed Noor, fatally shot the 40-year-old, unarmed White woman when she approached his car while he responded to her 911 call.
Noor’s attorneys argued at trial last year that he had fired his weapon to protect his frightened partner after hearing a noise and seeing a person by the driver-side window raising an arm. A jury later found Noor guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. A judge sentenced him to more than 12 years in prison.
Owen’s criminal trial is set for March.
“Police are given by this community an awesome and tremendously difficult responsibility of protecting life,” she said. “They are also likewise given an authority that is not shared by anyone else in this community — and that is the authority to take life. . . . When that trust is abused, it is necessary to take swift and decisive action.”
The $20 million Prince George’s settlement is one of the biggest involving an African American killed by an on-duty officer in the United States, Murphy said. Those involved with the case said the hefty settlement was driven largely by the unprecedented details of the shooting, previously reported by The Washington Post, including red flags the department missed related to Owen’s history of using force and claims seeking workers’ compensation for psychological difficulties.
Alsobrooks said the $20 million will come from the county’s budget and had to be first approved by the county’s budget director.
“This is not the way we want to spend tax dollars, which is why we are doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again,” Alsobrooks said.
During the news conference in the county government office building in Largo, members of Green’s family joined Murphy, Alsobrooks and other officials. Shelly Green, Green’s daughter, said that while the settlement would never bring her father back, the family planned to use part of it to combat police brutality.
Green’s cousin Nikki Owens said the family was still grieving.
“This doesn’t bring justice,” she said of the settlement. “This doesn’t bring peace.”
On the evening Green was killed, police received a 911 call about a man driving a Buick who had struck several vehicles, starting in Silver Hill, Md. They found Green in the car nearby in Temple Hills.
Owen got Green out of the car, cuffed Green’s hands behind his back and placed him in the cruiser to wait for a drug recognition expert, according to police records and interviews. Owen is accused of firing seven shots a few minutes later, six of which hit Green, still handcuffed in the front seat.
Green, a father of two who worked as a Megabus luggage loader, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The next day, Owen was arrested and charged in Green’s killing. Owen is the county’s first police officer charged with murder while on duty, Alsobrooks said.
Owen, who was not wearing a police-issued body camera at the time of the shooting, told authorities that he had feared for his life because Green reached for his firearm. Prosecutors say there is no evidence that Green posed a serious threat.
On Monday, Owen attorney Thomas Mooney called the prosecutor’s decision to charge his client a “knee-jerk” reaction based on “unsubstantiated or discounted facts and hastily misguided assumptions.” Mooney said Owen looked forward to his trial, “where all the facts will be finally revealed and brought to light and justice will prevail.” Owen remains jailed until trial.
An investigation by The Post showed that the county police department’s early-warning system flagged Owen for using force twice in quick succession the summer before Green’s killing. But his supervisors were not formally notified until January, The Post found, and they did not take action ahead of Green’s killing.
Owen’s supervisors were unaware that he had sought workers’ compensation for psychological difficulties stemming from a fatal shooting early in his career, department officials said, even though Owen was supposed to notify them.
Green was at least the second person killed by Owen. On Dec. 17, 2011, Owen fatally shot 35-year-old Rodney Deron Edwards after Owen saw Edwards lying in a front yard in Landover, according to police. When Owen tried to investigate, Edwards pulled a gun, according to Owen’s written report. Owen shot Edwards. Edwards’s family disputed the account, although a loaded handgun was found at the scene.
It is unclear whether Owen was involved in another fatal shooting. He filed a state workers’ compensation claim as a result of the fatal shooting of a suspect in 2010. But police have said that they have no record of Owen’s being involved in a fatal shooting on that date. Owen began seeing a psychiatrist as a result of that shooting, workers’ compensation records show.
Alsobrooks said officials have closed the loophole that allowed Owen to receive workers’ compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder without his bosses knowing at the same time as he continued working — a lapse detailed in The Post’s investigation. She added that she created a police reform group dedicated to making significant recommendations to the department and that she will be engaged in discussions at the state level this winter.
A dozen high-profile fatal encounters that have galvanized protests
Retired Prince George’s County circuit judge Steven Platt, who served as the mediator in the case, said both sides recognized the facts were “uniformly bad” — and in fact worse than many higher-profile shootings and instances of police brutality that have occurred elsewhere in the country. Citing the Post investigation, Platt said warning signs about Owen missed by the department partly drove the settlement.
Murphy added that had the civil case gone to trial, the results could have been “catastrophic” for the county. But he said the family did not want to wait years for a trial to unfold, so a settlement was in the best interests of both parties.
Alsobrooks will issue a letter to the Green family “expressing regret the incident occurred” as part of the settlement and will allow the family to address the police-reform work group, the county said.
The Green settlement matches the amount the city of Minneapolis paid the family of Justine Ruszczyk last year after one of its officers at the time, Mohamed Noor, fatally shot the 40-year-old, unarmed White woman when she approached his car while he responded to her 911 call.
Noor’s attorneys argued at trial last year that he had fired his weapon to protect his frightened partner after hearing a noise and seeing a person by the driver-side window raising an arm. A jury later found Noor guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. A judge sentenced him to more than 12 years in prison.
Owen’s criminal trial is set for March.
Plush family, city reach $6M settlement in wrongful death lawsuit
JARED GOFFINET APRIL 09, 2021
“The employees of the Emergency Communications Center and Police Department are dedicated public servants who are committed to helping when people need them the most. We will work every day to ensure that our City never again experiences a tragedy like the one suffered by the Plush family. The City is dedicated to providing the most professional emergency response to all Cincinnatians,” Meuthing said.
The settlement specifies $250,000 for improvement of the 911 call center. The funds will be used to hire outside experts to review the city’s 911 operations.
JARED GOFFINET APRIL 09, 2021
“The employees of the Emergency Communications Center and Police Department are dedicated public servants who are committed to helping when people need them the most. We will work every day to ensure that our City never again experiences a tragedy like the one suffered by the Plush family. The City is dedicated to providing the most professional emergency response to all Cincinnatians,” Meuthing said.
The settlement specifies $250,000 for improvement of the 911 call center. The funds will be used to hire outside experts to review the city’s 911 operations.
“The family enters this agreement in honor of their son Kyle. To honor his memory, it was important that we secure a civic commitment to continuous improvement. With this agreement, the City Manager commits to continue reforms in an enforceable, transparent way that will make the City safer for everyone. The family sees improvement under the current leadership and this court-supervised agreement will build on that,” Al Gerhardstein, attorney for the Plush family, said.
The lawsuit was filed by Kyle’s parents in 2019 against former City Manager Harry Black, 911 call takers, Amber Smith and Stepheanie Magee, and Cincinnati Police Officers, Edsel Osborn and Brian Brazile.
An attorney for the Plush family has said officers thought the incident was a prank and did not treat it as a high-priority call.
Kyle died after he became pinned by a folding bench seat in the back of his family’s 2004 Honda Odyssey minivan parked at Seven Hills School in Madisonville.
He called 911 twice to plead for help, providing his location and a description of the vehicle, according to the suit: “He screamed, pounded, begged for help. No one helped him.”
As for any kind of apology from the city, Gerhardstein said the Plush family never asked for one. Instead, they asked for action.
Cincinnati police are now required to get out of their cars and search by foot, among other changes, when they respond to 911 disconnect calls, 911 silent calls, and calls for unknown trouble.
Plush family, attorney react to $6M lawsuit settlement
The lawsuit was filed by Kyle’s parents in 2019 against former City Manager Harry Black, 911 call takers, Amber Smith and Stepheanie Magee, and Cincinnati Police Officers, Edsel Osborn and Brian Brazile.
An attorney for the Plush family has said officers thought the incident was a prank and did not treat it as a high-priority call.
Kyle died after he became pinned by a folding bench seat in the back of his family’s 2004 Honda Odyssey minivan parked at Seven Hills School in Madisonville.
He called 911 twice to plead for help, providing his location and a description of the vehicle, according to the suit: “He screamed, pounded, begged for help. No one helped him.”
As for any kind of apology from the city, Gerhardstein said the Plush family never asked for one. Instead, they asked for action.
Cincinnati police are now required to get out of their cars and search by foot, among other changes, when they respond to 911 disconnect calls, 911 silent calls, and calls for unknown trouble.
Plush family, attorney react to $6M lawsuit settlement
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$2.9 million settlement approved in Tucson police custody death
Carlos Ingram-Lopez, 27, died after being restrained by police officers on April 21. The family learned of the settlement in December but were waiting for the court’s approval to finalize the settlement of the lawsuit against the city of Tucson.
Most of the money — 75% — will go to Ingram-Lopez’s 2-year-old daughter Sophie, said Ted Schmidt the attorney who represented her. The remaining 25% will go to Ingram-Lopez’s mother, he said.
City Attorney Mike Rankin confirmed the court’s approval of the settlement but declined to comment.
In video footage, Ingram-Lopez asked officers for water repeatedly, screamed for his grandmother’s help and said that he couldn’t breathe.
Then-County Attorney Barbara LaWall issued a memo in September saying the officers would not face criminal charges in Ingram-Lopez’s death.
- Stephanie Casanova
- Mar 5, 2021 Updated Mar 20, 2021
Carlos Ingram-Lopez, 27, died after being restrained by police officers on April 21. The family learned of the settlement in December but were waiting for the court’s approval to finalize the settlement of the lawsuit against the city of Tucson.
Most of the money — 75% — will go to Ingram-Lopez’s 2-year-old daughter Sophie, said Ted Schmidt the attorney who represented her. The remaining 25% will go to Ingram-Lopez’s mother, he said.
City Attorney Mike Rankin confirmed the court’s approval of the settlement but declined to comment.
“We settled for what we settled for recognizing that the plaintiffs were going to need to resolve the split of the total settlement amount between them,” he said.
“It’s hard to lose a loved one to an illness or a car accident,” Schmidt said. “But when it happens at the hands of people you’re expecting are there to protect you, in such a horrific way it’s just a painful memory.”
The daughter’s funds will be under the protection of a fiduciary — in this case a corporation run by a pair of lawyers — who will ensure the money is only used within court-approved limitations until Sophie is an adult, Schmidt said.
Sophie’s mother was Ingram-Lopez’s fiancée, meaning she had no legal claim for his death, he said. The settlement will ensure Ingram-Lopez’s daughter will have a home.
“This brings closure for the family, to not be concerned now for litigation and knowing that they can put this chapter behind them,” Schmidt said. “And fortunately they can feel that there is justice to the extent you can have it in a civil lawsuit.”
Schmidt commended the city for investigating the case, and taking steps to prevent what happened to Ingram-Lopez from happening again.
Since details of the in-custody death were released in June, the city has taken significant action toward public safety reform, including the implementation of a community safety pilot program and an analysis of several police review boards
Ingram-Lopez’s family filed a notice of claim in August against the city and the officers involved, seeking $19 million in damages.
The three officers involved in the incident resigned after an internal investigation and review of body camera footage which showed “multiple policy violations,” Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said last year, adding that the officers would have been terminated had they not resigned.
An autopsy report showed that Ingram-Lopez had high amounts of cocaine in his system and a preexisting heart condition. He went into cardiac arrest while restrained.
“It’s hard to lose a loved one to an illness or a car accident,” Schmidt said. “But when it happens at the hands of people you’re expecting are there to protect you, in such a horrific way it’s just a painful memory.”
The daughter’s funds will be under the protection of a fiduciary — in this case a corporation run by a pair of lawyers — who will ensure the money is only used within court-approved limitations until Sophie is an adult, Schmidt said.
Sophie’s mother was Ingram-Lopez’s fiancée, meaning she had no legal claim for his death, he said. The settlement will ensure Ingram-Lopez’s daughter will have a home.
“This brings closure for the family, to not be concerned now for litigation and knowing that they can put this chapter behind them,” Schmidt said. “And fortunately they can feel that there is justice to the extent you can have it in a civil lawsuit.”
Schmidt commended the city for investigating the case, and taking steps to prevent what happened to Ingram-Lopez from happening again.
Since details of the in-custody death were released in June, the city has taken significant action toward public safety reform, including the implementation of a community safety pilot program and an analysis of several police review boards
Ingram-Lopez’s family filed a notice of claim in August against the city and the officers involved, seeking $19 million in damages.
The three officers involved in the incident resigned after an internal investigation and review of body camera footage which showed “multiple policy violations,” Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said last year, adding that the officers would have been terminated had they not resigned.
An autopsy report showed that Ingram-Lopez had high amounts of cocaine in his system and a preexisting heart condition. He went into cardiac arrest while restrained.
In video footage, Ingram-Lopez asked officers for water repeatedly, screamed for his grandmother’s help and said that he couldn’t breathe.
Then-County Attorney Barbara LaWall issued a memo in September saying the officers would not face criminal charges in Ingram-Lopez’s death.
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Aurora Police to pay man $285,000 settlement for ordering him out of home, slamming him on ground
A lawsuit by the ACLU said Aurora officers ordered a man to leave his home and slammed him out on the ground while he was fixing his car in the garage.
AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Police Department (APD) will pay a $285,000 settlement for ordering a Latino man out of his home and slamming him on the ground while investigating a noise complaint.
That's according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado, which announced the settlement on behalf of Jamie Albert Torres Soto on Thursday.
A lawsuit by the ACLU said Aurora officers ordered a man to leave his home and slammed him out on the ground while he was fixing his car in the garage.
AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora Police Department (APD) will pay a $285,000 settlement for ordering a Latino man out of his home and slamming him on the ground while investigating a noise complaint.
That's according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado, which announced the settlement on behalf of Jamie Albert Torres Soto on Thursday.
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“While the size of Mr. Torres’ settlement suggests the significance of the wrongdoing in this case, it does not begin to serve justice,” ACLU of Colorado Legal Director Mark Silverstein said in a news release. “To this day, Mr. Torres suffers physically and emotionally from that incident.”
The City of Aurora released the following statement:
"The city has entered into a settlement agreement with Mr. Torres on this matter. As part of that agreement, the city did not admit liability in this case. This case was settled in part to avoid prolonged litigation, as many cases are. Regardless of any legal filings, the Aurora Police Department remains committed to ongoing reviews of its practices and procedures to offer the best service to our residents, and new Police Chief Vanessa Wilson has undertaken a plan to restore public trust in the department, called “A New Way,” available at AuroraGov.org/ANewWay."
>>> The video above is from a 2018 9NEWS report on the lawsuit.
RELATED: ACLU lawsuit accuses APD officers of slamming Latino man to the ground
The incident happened in November 2016.
Soto was fixing a car in his garage with two friends when an officer with the Aurora Police Department approached him and illegally told him to step out of his home, according to the lawsuit.
After pausing briefly to call his wife and ask her to come out of the house to help translate, Soto obeyed commands from officers in both English and Spanish to leave his garage, the suit says.
As Soto started walking from the garage area, officers immediately “wrenched his arm behind his back, picked him up, and slammed him to the ground,” according to the lawsuit. Soto screamed out in pain, the lawsuit says, and was left bloodied and bruised from the confrontation.
In the police report from APD, one of the officers described several times where he said he struggled to take Soto into custody.
“I told Jaime something to the effect of 'quit it' at least two times as he was resisting my efforts to place the other handcuff on his wrist," the report detailed.
The same officer wrote: “Jaime then tucked in his leg, twisted his body, and pushed back. This action caused me to start losing my balance.”
The lawsuit further alleges that Aurora police then tried to cover up the incident by charging Soto with resisting arrest and failure to follow a lawful order – both of which he was later acquitted of by a jury.
Soto was found guilty of a noise complaint.
In a Facebook post after the lawsuit was filed in 2018, the Aurora Police Department said that it is aware of the lawsuit and takes allegations of misconduct very seriously./SPOILER]
The department has been the subject of controversy in recent months for multiple high-profile incidents involving its officers, including the death of Elijah McClain.
“While the size of Mr. Torres’ settlement suggests the significance of the wrongdoing in this case, it does not begin to serve justice,” ACLU of Colorado Legal Director Mark Silverstein said in a news release. “To this day, Mr. Torres suffers physically and emotionally from that incident.”
The City of Aurora released the following statement:
"The city has entered into a settlement agreement with Mr. Torres on this matter. As part of that agreement, the city did not admit liability in this case. This case was settled in part to avoid prolonged litigation, as many cases are. Regardless of any legal filings, the Aurora Police Department remains committed to ongoing reviews of its practices and procedures to offer the best service to our residents, and new Police Chief Vanessa Wilson has undertaken a plan to restore public trust in the department, called “A New Way,” available at AuroraGov.org/ANewWay."
>>> The video above is from a 2018 9NEWS report on the lawsuit.
RELATED: ACLU lawsuit accuses APD officers of slamming Latino man to the ground
The incident happened in November 2016.
Soto was fixing a car in his garage with two friends when an officer with the Aurora Police Department approached him and illegally told him to step out of his home, according to the lawsuit.
After pausing briefly to call his wife and ask her to come out of the house to help translate, Soto obeyed commands from officers in both English and Spanish to leave his garage, the suit says.
As Soto started walking from the garage area, officers immediately “wrenched his arm behind his back, picked him up, and slammed him to the ground,” according to the lawsuit. Soto screamed out in pain, the lawsuit says, and was left bloodied and bruised from the confrontation.
In the police report from APD, one of the officers described several times where he said he struggled to take Soto into custody.
“I told Jaime something to the effect of 'quit it' at least two times as he was resisting my efforts to place the other handcuff on his wrist," the report detailed.
The same officer wrote: “Jaime then tucked in his leg, twisted his body, and pushed back. This action caused me to start losing my balance.”
The lawsuit further alleges that Aurora police then tried to cover up the incident by charging Soto with resisting arrest and failure to follow a lawful order – both of which he was later acquitted of by a jury.
Soto was found guilty of a noise complaint.
In a Facebook post after the lawsuit was filed in 2018, the Aurora Police Department said that it is aware of the lawsuit and takes allegations of misconduct very seriously./SPOILER]
The department has been the subject of controversy in recent months for multiple high-profile incidents involving its officers, including the death of Elijah McClain.
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Aurora pays $80,000 settlement after police ordered dog to bite woman being restrained by officers
Police chief says dog incident was not excessive use of force under department’s policies at the time
Aurora paid $80,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit last week after one of the city’s K-9 officers ordered a police dog to bite a woman who was lying on the ground while being restrained by multiple police officers.
Caylaanne Connor, then 22, put her hands up when officers surrounded her and then threw her to the ground in March 2019, according to body camera footage of the incident. With two officers on top of her, she was talking to police when Officer Robert Wong ordered his dog to bite her in the leg, according to the footage.
“I wanted to be completely transparent with the attorney general’s office,” she said, “so I reached out to them to let them know this case is being looked at by the media… and I wanted them to look at it as well. I am willing to let others come in and look at our patterns and practices, I welcome that.”
Police chief says dog incident was not excessive use of force under department’s policies at the time
Aurora paid $80,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit last week after one of the city’s K-9 officers ordered a police dog to bite a woman who was lying on the ground while being restrained by multiple police officers.
Caylaanne Connor, then 22, put her hands up when officers surrounded her and then threw her to the ground in March 2019, according to body camera footage of the incident. With two officers on top of her, she was talking to police when Officer Robert Wong ordered his dog to bite her in the leg, according to the footage.
In a police report, Officer Nicholas Langdon wrote that Connor was “feigning compliance” and that her right hand “went directly to her waistband.” Wong ordered the dog to bite because Connor could have been reaching for a weapon, the report said.
She was unarmed and was not reaching for a weapon, but rather for methamphetamine kept in a sunglasses case, police reported. In her lawsuit, Connor said her hand was pinned under her body and she could not move it.
Aurora police Chief Vanessa Wilson said she first learned about the 2019 case and settlement on Wednesday, and that after reviewing the context of the case, the dog bite was “within compliance” of the department’s training and policies at the time.
“I can’t say this was an excessive use of force,” she said.
The police department in October began an audit of its K-9 unit, Wilson said, and is revising the way dogs are trained and used in the field.
“We are changing the way we deploy these animals,” she said. “We are definitely looking at best practices and talking about reaching out to national experts to make sure we are doing what the public expects of us.”
One of those changes will be to only send police dogs to a particular list of violent crimes, Sgt. Jeremy McElroy said. The circumstances around Connor’s arrest — a parked stolen vehicle — will no longer qualify for a K-9 response, he said.
Police stopped Connor on March 29, 2019, after she entered the driver’s seat of a parked van that had been reported stolen, according to the lawsuit. She believed the car belonged to a friend, the lawsuit said.
Officers pulled her from the minivan, threw her to the ground and attempted to handcuff her. She was on her stomach, with one hand under her body, when Wong told his dog, named Loki, to bite.
The dog initially did not respond to Wong’s repeated orders, body camera footage shows, until Wong pushed the dog’s head toward Connor’s legs.
“You can see the dog is actually not wanting to bite her,” said Matthew Greife, an attorney with Baumgartner Law who represented Connor in her lawsuit against Aurora. “She’s not flailing around, she’s not doing anything. That dog is not trained to bite people like that.”
McElroy said the dog was brand new, and that it’s typical for a newly trained dog to at first hesitate to bite a human, no matter the circumstances of the arrest, because the dogs are trained on decoys.
Connor screamed in agony when the dog bit into her leg and thrashed its head around. Wong praised the dog, shouting “Good boy” several times as Connor begged for it to stop. Wilson said the officer’s praise was part of the dog’s training. McElroy said the dog was able to hold on for several seconds because a collar used to remove the dog after it bites was tangled.
“I realize this video is hard to watch,” Wilson said. “…It’s very difficult to watch, and I get that, and I’m not going to take that away from people watching. But I do want you and others to know that there is context behind what is happening. Unfortunately, it’s never going to be a pretty thing when a dog is deployed.”
Greife said the officers’ reports do not match up with the body camera footage. The involved officers were not disciplined.
“The fact that nobody catches that (discrepancy) on a use-of-force review, it is either gross incompetence by the reviewers or they intentionally didn’t want to do anything about it,” he said. “Neither option is good. They’re both pretty troubling.”
She was unarmed and was not reaching for a weapon, but rather for methamphetamine kept in a sunglasses case, police reported. In her lawsuit, Connor said her hand was pinned under her body and she could not move it.
Aurora police Chief Vanessa Wilson said she first learned about the 2019 case and settlement on Wednesday, and that after reviewing the context of the case, the dog bite was “within compliance” of the department’s training and policies at the time.
“I can’t say this was an excessive use of force,” she said.
The police department in October began an audit of its K-9 unit, Wilson said, and is revising the way dogs are trained and used in the field.
“We are changing the way we deploy these animals,” she said. “We are definitely looking at best practices and talking about reaching out to national experts to make sure we are doing what the public expects of us.”
One of those changes will be to only send police dogs to a particular list of violent crimes, Sgt. Jeremy McElroy said. The circumstances around Connor’s arrest — a parked stolen vehicle — will no longer qualify for a K-9 response, he said.
Police stopped Connor on March 29, 2019, after she entered the driver’s seat of a parked van that had been reported stolen, according to the lawsuit. She believed the car belonged to a friend, the lawsuit said.
Officers pulled her from the minivan, threw her to the ground and attempted to handcuff her. She was on her stomach, with one hand under her body, when Wong told his dog, named Loki, to bite.
The dog initially did not respond to Wong’s repeated orders, body camera footage shows, until Wong pushed the dog’s head toward Connor’s legs.
“You can see the dog is actually not wanting to bite her,” said Matthew Greife, an attorney with Baumgartner Law who represented Connor in her lawsuit against Aurora. “She’s not flailing around, she’s not doing anything. That dog is not trained to bite people like that.”
McElroy said the dog was brand new, and that it’s typical for a newly trained dog to at first hesitate to bite a human, no matter the circumstances of the arrest, because the dogs are trained on decoys.
Connor screamed in agony when the dog bit into her leg and thrashed its head around. Wong praised the dog, shouting “Good boy” several times as Connor begged for it to stop. Wilson said the officer’s praise was part of the dog’s training. McElroy said the dog was able to hold on for several seconds because a collar used to remove the dog after it bites was tangled.
“I realize this video is hard to watch,” Wilson said. “…It’s very difficult to watch, and I get that, and I’m not going to take that away from people watching. But I do want you and others to know that there is context behind what is happening. Unfortunately, it’s never going to be a pretty thing when a dog is deployed.”
Greife said the officers’ reports do not match up with the body camera footage. The involved officers were not disciplined.
“The fact that nobody catches that (discrepancy) on a use-of-force review, it is either gross incompetence by the reviewers or they intentionally didn’t want to do anything about it,” he said. “Neither option is good. They’re both pretty troubling.”
“I wanted to be completely transparent with the attorney general’s office,” she said, “so I reached out to them to let them know this case is being looked at by the media… and I wanted them to look at it as well. I am willing to let others come in and look at our patterns and practices, I welcome that.”
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I really hope they one day make it a felony to lie on a police report.
Wow