Settlements

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal released an analysis of settlement totals from instances of police misconduct among the ten largest local police departments in the nation. Many of the cases involved in the analysis involved alleged beatings, shootings, and wrongful imprisonment. The analysis determined that, between 2010 and 2014, New York City spent $601.3 million on police misconduct cases. In 2015, the city paid $5.9 million to the estate of Eric Garner, who died after being put in a police chokehold. Additionally, a report released by the New York City Comptroller’s Office disclosed that the city spent nearly $270 million to resolve police misconduct claims in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. A recent analysis of data published by the New York City Law Department, detailing information on civil actions alleging police misconduct, showed that in 2019 the city was responsible for over $68 million in payouts to resolve nearly 1,400 civil lawsuits filed against the department.

City taxpayers paid $710 million total between May 2011 and May 2023 to resolve more than 2,500 cases. As of July 2023, the Chicago City Council was debating how to address concerns about the escalating costs of resolving police misconduct lawsuits.

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal released an analysis of settlement totals from instances of police misconduct among the ten largest local police departments in the nation. Many of the cases involved in the analysis involved alleged beatings, shootings, and wrongful imprisonment. The analysis determined that, between 2010 and 2014, the City of Chicago spent $249.7 million on police misconduct cases. In 2015, the city paid $5 million to the family of Laquan McDonald, who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer 16 times as he walked away from the officer. A separate analysis conducted by local news source NBC5 Chicago determined that the city paid over $45 million to resolve police misconduct cases between January and July 2018.

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal released an analysis of settlement totals from instances of police misconduct among the ten largest local police departments in the nation. Many of the cases involved in the analysis involved alleged beatings, shootings, and wrongful imprisonment. The analysis determined that, between 2010 and 2014, the City of Los Angeles spent $57.1 million on police misconduct cases. A separate analysis conducted by The Los Angeles Times in 2018 concluded that the city paid more than $190 million for police misconduct settlements from July 2005 to 2018.

A 2015 analysis revealed that Nassau County spent over $100 million on lawsuit settlements and judgments between 2006 and 2013. The assessment included an analysis of 2,709 individual payments, and included, but were not limited to, incidents of police misconduct.

On July 10, 2018, Blasingame was asking for money from passersby on the street in Atlanta, Georgia, when Officer John Grubbs approached him, and Blasingame took off running. Grubbs fired his stun gun at Blasingame from about ten feet away, hitting him in the back of the head and causing him to fall on his face, which left Blasingame paralyzed. Due to the incident, Blasingame requires around-the-clock care at a cost of $1 million per year. A federal jury found that Grubbs, who remained employed by the Atlanta Police Department as of August 2022, used excessive force to restrain Blasingame, who was not actively under arrest. The Atlanta Police Department was ordered to pay Blasingame $60 million, while Grubbs was ordered to pay $40 million.

The researchers noted that the negative impact on police-community relationships and trust of the police is “incalculable.” As of July 2023, dozens more lawsuits involving the Austin Police Department were still in progress, including lawsuits from people injured by police during the 2020 racial justice protests.

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal released an analysis of settlement totals from instances of police misconduct among the ten largest local police departments in the nation. Many of the cases involved in the analysis involved alleged beatings, shootings, and wrongful imprisonment. The analysis determined that, between 2010 and 2014, the City of Philadelphia spent $54.3 million on police misconduct cases.

The four men spent a combined seventy-three years in prison after police allegedly coerced them into false murder confessions in 1995, when they were teenagers. They were exonerated in 2017 after forensic evidence proved they were not connected to the murders. The payout, among the largest in Chicago’s history, stemmed from lawsuits filed in 2018 alleging that police withheld exculpatory evidence and coerced their confessions, despite the lack of any physical evidence linking them to the crime. The lawsuit named thirteen police officers, none of whom had been criminally charged, a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney, Cook County, and the City of Chicago. Between 2008 and June 2024, lawsuits stemming from reversed convictions had cost Chicago nearly $329 million.

When the van braked hard, Cox was sent headfirst into a metal partition. Following the crash, officers mocked Cox, accused him of faking his injuries, and dragged him by his feet out of the van and into a holding cell before he was eventually taken to a hospital. Cox had been arrested on gun-related charges, which were later dismissed. Five officers involved, including two recently fired, were facing criminal charges as of 2023. Cox’s lawsuit initially sought $100 million. The case spurred police reforms in New Haven, including mandatory seatbelt use for all people being transported by police.

In violation of the Chicago Police Department’s “no-chase” policy for minor traffic offenses, police initiated the chase after a driver ran a stop sign. Officer Jhonathan Perez, who remained on active duty as of March 2024, pursued the fleeing vehicle at high speeds before slowing down immediately before the crash occurred. The crash left Jones, who was a passenger in the fleeing vehicle, unable to walk, talk, or care for himself. Attorneys for Jones argued that the Police Department’s failure to follow policy caused irreparable harm, and the settlement, including $20 million from the City and $25 million from its insurer, would help cover his lifelong care.

Eric Uller was accused of molesting several children whom he picked up from predominately Latino areas of the city, beginning in the 1980s. He used his job with the city to gain access to the boys, and the city had a series of reports on his behavior.

Hundreds of current and former police officers would each receive at least $45,000. The decade-old lawsuit involved officers from Boston, Brockton, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Springfield, and Worcester, along with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

According to a 2015 analysis, Suffolk County, New York paid $37.4 million on lawsuit settlements and judgments between 2006 and 2013, including for police misconduct suits.

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal released an analysis of settlement totals from instances of police misconduct among the ten largest local police departments in the nation. Many of the cases involved in the analysis involved alleged beatings, shootings, and wrongful imprisonment. The analysis determined that, between 2010 and 2014, the City of Baltimore spent $12 million on police misconduct cases. A separate analysis conducted by Baltimore Brew concluded that Baltimore taxpayers paid $24.5 million for police misconduct settlements between fiscal years 2015 and 2019.

In 2015, The Boston Globe reported that the City of Boston spent more than $36 million to remedy 2,000 legal claims and lawsuits filed against the Boston Police Department since 2005. Twenty-two of the payouts were worth over $100,000, including nine worth over $1 million.

A jury awarded the family of John Kyles $10 million and the family of Duane Dunlap $23 million in August 2022, and a Cook County judge rejected the Village’s attempt to overturn the verdict in March 2023. On October 9, 2016, Kyles and Dunlap were passengers in a car driven by a third man, who sped off when Dolton Police tried to pull over the vehicle for running through a stop sign. When their vehicle crashed, Kyles died at the scene and Dunlap suffered brain injuries requiring permanent residential care. However, the jury did not find Sergeant Lewis Lacey guilty of willful and wanton misconduct after he and fellow Officer Ryan Perez had been accused of causing the accident.

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal released an analysis of settlement totals from instances of police misconduct among the ten largest local police departments in the nation. Many of the cases involved in the analysis involved alleged beatings, shootings, and wrongful imprisonment. The analysis determined that, between 2010 and 2014, the District of Columbia spent $30.5 million on police misconduct cases. A separate analysis conducted by The Washington Post determined that the city spent $31.6 million between 2005 and 2016 on court judgments or settlements in 173 cases alleging police misconduct.

The payout is another act in a series of police brutality payouts by Minneapolis: it was only two years ago when the city paid out $20 million to the family of Justine Ruszczyk, a woman killed by then-police officer Mohamed Noor.

In 2015, The Wall Street Journal released an analysis of settlement totals from instances of police misconduct among the ten largest local police departments in the nation. Many of the cases involved in the analysis involved alleged beatings, shootings, and wrongful imprisonment. The analysis determined that, between 2010 and 2014, the City of Phoenix spent $5.6 million on police misconduct cases. A separate analysis using data from the Phoenix Finance Department also reported that between fiscal years 2008 and 2018, the city paid more than $26 million to settle 191 claims of police misconduct.

In 2016, local news channel NBC 7 reviewed every lawsuit involving the San Diego Police Department since 2008. It determined that taxpayers paid more than $25 million since 2008 to settle lawsuits against the department. Specifically, settlement payouts ranged from $1.1 million (in 2008), nearly $5 million (in 2013), and $9.5 million (in 2015). According to NBC 7’s analysis, the department settled an average of 177 claims per year, and the biggest individual payouts involved police misconduct allegations.

Hood and Washington sued the City in 2016, alleging that Chicago Police detectives fabricated evidence and coerced testimony. Under the settlement, Hood, who spent twenty-two years in prison, received $17.5 million, while Washington, who served twelve years, received $7.5 million. The City’s insurance covered $5 million of the settlement amount. The large settlement came amid ongoing tensions about the financial and social costs of police-related lawsuits in Chicago, where the City approved $220 million in police settlements between January 2021 and September 2023. Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged the cost but emphasized the importance of constitutional policing and correcting past injustices.

From 2015 to 2017, the City of Milwaukee paid $21.4 million in settlements for police misconduct cases, including interest and attorneys’ fees.

William Green was 43 years old when he was shot and killed by a Prince George's County police officer, Corporal Michael A. Owen Jr. In addition to the settlement, second-degree murder charges have been filed against Owen. The settlement represents one of the largest payments for police misconduct settlements in U.S. history.

In addition to the monetary settlement, Yuba City also agreed to randomly audit body camera footage from officers and review instances where force is used. On April 12, 2020, Yuba City Police officers handcuffed Gross, slammed him on the ground, and held him facedown. Officers’ body camera footage also showed Gross stating that he could not breathe or feel his legs. The officers’ use of force left Gross with a broken neck and unable to walk. He had two surgeries to repair his spine and now needs round-the-clock nursing care for the rest of his life. As of June 2023, the officers were still employed by Yuba City Police.