Settlements

Taylor alleged that Officer Matthew Felitto had kicked him multiple times in the head while he was restrained in the back of Felitto’s police van. After body camera footage was taken from officers, the city agreed to settle the case with Taylor for $150,000.

The civil case, filed following her arrest in June 2020, alleged that Loveland police officers used excessive force when detaining Ms. Garner, who had been accused of leaving a Walmart without paying for her items. Following her arrest, police officers were seen mocking her arrest and neglecting to give her medical attention for her fractured arm, dislocated shoulder, and sustained bruises from the arrest. Garner’s case is one of several recent allegations of the Loveland Department using excessive force in the last year.

Harris and Tatum are Black former officers who filed the lawsuit back in 1994, alleging that Worcester used discriminatory practices when promoting officers within the department, favoring the interests of White officers over minority officers. Both Black officers had passed the sergeant’s exam in the early 1990s but were passed over for promotions. After almost three decades of litigation, the city agreed to pay $1.5 million, which includes retirement payment for Tatum. Harris passed away before the case was settled.

The lawsuit alleged that Harvel fatally shot Roque in September 2017 when responding to a 911 call where Roque was having a mental health crisis. The Austin City Council reached a settlement of $2.25 million with the Roque family after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5^th Circuit affirmed Harvel did not qualify for immunity for the second and third shot he fired at Roque.

Beginning in 2016, the state’s attorney general office investigated allegations that the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office consistently used excessive force. No specific incidents have been publicly mentioned, but the California Department of Justice concluded that BPD had violated the 4th and 5th amendment rights of residents, as a number of officers engaged in forms of excessive force, including fatal shootings, police canine attacks, and discriminatory traffic stops. The consent decree requires the police department to reform its policies related to excessive force, which will be overseen by an independent monitor.

Jacob Bauer, a 38-year-old man struggling with mental illness, died on August 1, 2018, after being detained by Pleasanton police officers outside a grocery store. During the interaction, Bauer began resisting, which led officers to handcuff him, tase him, and beat him with their hands and batons. The settlement reached by the city and Bauer’s parents stipulates that the officers involved admit no fault or liability for Bauer’s death, and that the lawsuit be permanently closed in exchange for $5.9 million and a private meeting with Department leadership.

The lawsuit was filed following the fatal shooting of Daverion Kinard, who was shot by Officer Johnny Tuitavake after a foot pursuit in February 2021. After the Kinard family lawsuit was settled, another suit was filed in August 2021 against the same officer, alleging that he had used excessive force on Juan Gonzalez during an altercation in October 2020. Gonzalez’s lawsuit is currently in litigation.

Following their arrests at the Capitol building during a protest against felon disenfranchisement, five protestors sued Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens, alleging that banning them from the Capitol grounds was a violation of their First Amendment rights. The lawsuit was settled after a US District Court judge issued an order preventing the enforcement of the ban. The protesters' bans were lifted, they received $70,000, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety agreed to train its officers assigned to the Capitol on First Amendment rights of protestors.

Goode’s family claims that his death was caused by police officers when they tased him, tied him with restraints, and put him on his stomach on a stretcher, where he suffocated to death because of the pressure on his lungs. The city announced in July that they had reached an undisclosed agreement with Troy Goode’s family.

Members of the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association and the United Black Police Officers Association filed a lawsuit against Prince George’s County Police Department alleging that the department does not properly handle allegations of discrimination or misconduct by White officers. The allegations detail several instances of racism towards community members and fellow officers. The agreement requires the department to implement changes to disciplinary procedures and equal employment opportunity policies.

The lawsuit alleged that police officers used excessive force when arresting Marquez Smart, a 23-year-old African American man, in 2012. In 2020, after a 2018 ruling dismissing the Smarts’ case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10^th Circuit found that by the time the police fatally shot Smart, he was on the ground with his arms stretched out. The City of Wichita agreed to settle the case for $900,000 to prevent the suit from going to federal court.

Pesoa was arrested in Aspen Hill, Maryland in 2019. During the arrest, Officer Kevin Moris kneed Pesoa in the back of his head and neck after he was already restrained. Pesoa filed his lawsuit in 2020, alleging that he suffered a concussion and severe bleeding as a result of the knee to his head. After video evidence was presented, the Department agreed to settle the case.

The lawsuit alleged that the Department had violated Theresa Taylor’s right to protest by banning her from returning to the Country Club Plaza after arresting her and 100 others during protests against police brutality. The banishment order provided that, if Taylor were to return to the Country Club Plaza, she would be arrested and charged. The settlement clears the banishment order, prohibits officers from adding conditions of bond release beyond those imposed by the court, and requires officers to be trained on free speech, anti-bias, and de-escalation practices.

The lawsuit alleged that Officer Jarom Allred pulled over Donna Miller, a 62-year-old African American woman, for not having valid insurance and, after proving that she did, saying he suspected Miller was intoxicated. Miller was held at the police station for three hours, during which time her car was searched, and was forced to take several sobriety tests, despite all tests, including blood tests for eight different substances, coming back negative. The city nonetheless charged her with DUI, suspending her license, and forcing her to pay to have her license reinstated after all charges were dropped. Following her 2018 arrest, she filed a lawsuit for the racial bias she experienced, and the city settled the case for $152,000.

Arreola died in 2017 shortly after a struggle with police officers who he had called to check on his mother. A police officer allegedly sat on Arreola for over two minutes while he said he couldn’t breathe 16 times. The lawsuit alleged that Arreola went into cardiac arrest following brain damage he endured from the force the officers used when restraining him. In July 2021, the Columbus City Council decided to settle before trial for $500,000. 

The Portland City Council agreed unanimously to a $250,000 settlement. Bruders, who has faced other claims of wrongful behavior, will be partially responsible for a total of about $800,000 being paid to his victims. The city has paid other settlements because of Bruders’ actions including his beating of Jason Cox, a man who was detained by police on suspicion of drunk driving.

This settlement was a result of a family lawsuit against the city and others. Sterling was shot and killed when officers responded to a report that there was a Black man selling CDs outside a convenience store who had brandished a gun. Sterling’s death set off national protests. In 2017, the Justice Department failed to bring federal charges against the officers and Louisiana’s attorney general said the officers would not face state charges.

In 2020, Antonio Arnelo Smith was slammed to the ground by a police officer who alleged that he wrongly thought Smith had an outstanding arrest warrant. In addition to the financial settlement, the city shared that they would create a civilian review board to oversee local police and make policy recommendations. The creation of a citizen panel was Smith’s primary priority in the lawsuit. Body camera footage captured how the police officer pinned Smith’s hands behind his back and proceeded to slam him into the ground, face-first.

The lawsuit cast doubt on police testimony. Cameron Johnson was shot by a police officer who had a brief conversation with Johnson while he was in his vehicle and then started firing. Witnesses were right behind Johnson’s vehicle and confirmed that the officer shot Johnson multiple times and that the submitted police testimony of the situation was incorrect.

On March 2, 2018, Martin got into a verbal altercation with a security guard at Eastridge Mall which led to the guard calling the police. Martin and his cousin were approached by SJPD officer Alexandre Ribeiro who was in his patrol SUV. Court records say the officer drove off the road over a curb onto the jogging trail Martin was on with his cousin. When Martin moved out of the vehicle’s way, Officer Ribeiro swerved to hit the plaintiff and then backed over his body. Martin suffered pelvis fractures, a broken ankle, nerve damage and other lasting injuries.

Baton Rouge officers strip searched and groped two people, including the 16-year-old, on a public street when conducting a “frisk” during a traffic stop. A federal judge said the officers “demonstrated a serious and wanton disregard” for constitutional rights. During a news conference about the settlement, the police chief said department policies were violated during the stop, including conduct unbecoming of an officer, a violation of BRPD's body-worn camera policy, and another violation regarding warrantless searches.

Abby Simon brought a suit against the city and Chief Mark Dalsing in 2019. Simon sued on grounds of gender discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Additionally, Simon expressed in the lawsuit that she was passed over in 2016 and 2017 for promotion to captain although she had better test and interview scores than the men who were promoted. 

The shooting was captured by Coy, via his body camera. However, his body camera footage does not have sound since he was on a non-emergency call. Coy has a history of complaints. Hill was visiting a family friend when he was shot while Coy was responding to a neighbor’s non-emergency complaint about someone stopping and starting a car outside.

The cases settled involved Tremel Stone, who was shot by a police officer when fleeing arrest in 2010, Rodriguez Howard, who was injured in a car crash with a police vehicle in 2018, Sabriena Chiles, who was unlawfully arrested and imprisoned in 2016, and Raymond Walker, who was pulled over by an officer in 2018 for crossing a double yellow line without signaling. These settlements prompted a push for a civilian review board to investigate incidents of police misconduct.

More than 100 protestors alleged that police officers used excessive force such as chemical irritants, batons, and grenades when handling demonstrators.