Settlements

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in 2021, alleged that Detroit Police officers made Islamophobic comments caught on body camera, including claims that “Muslims lie a lot” and “Muslim men are pedophiles,” before falsely arresting the men with what appeared to be no probable cause. The men, who had called 911 for help with a woman having a mental health crisis, were detained for three days before prosecutors declined to file charges. In a statement announcing the settlement, which included monetary compensation, CAIR-MI leaders said they hoped Detroit Police would implement proper training to prevent future incidents of biased policing and emphasized that no one seeking emergency assistance should fear being profiled based on their faith.

Soon after Whitney reported the ritual to Police Department leadership, the mayor, and the city manager in 2019, he was placed on administrative leave and later fired for allegedly deleting data from his phone. Whitney filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit asserting he was punished for exposing misconduct. His lead attorney, Jayme Walker, praised Whitney for crossing the “thin blue line” to demand accountability. Whitney expressed hope that the settlement would encourage the City to begin repairing the damage caused by the badge bending scandal.

In April 2019, Officer Jeremy Walleman arrested Logan Davis, then eighteen years old, for loitering outside a closed business even though Davis was waiting for his father to pick him up from his job. As of 2023, Walleman was still working for the Police Department.

Police opened fire after a verbal altercation between teens escalated into a gunfight. Police gunfire inadvertently struck Bility and injured three others, including her twelve-year-old sister. Officers Brian Devaney, Sean Dolan, and Devon Smith were fired and later sentenced to probation, pleading guilty to reckless endangerment. As part of the settlement, Sharon Hill agreed to implement enhanced officer training, particularly concerning the use of deadly force. The Bility family, who established the Fanta Bility Foundation to honor her legacy and advocate for police reform, emphasized that no settlement could erase the tragedy but expressed hope for healing and change.

The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused Crestwood officials, including then-Mayor Lou Presta and Police Chief David Weigand, of targeting officers who supported unionization. The Illinois Labor Relations Board certified the Illinois Council of Police as the bargaining representative for part-time officers in 2019, but the officers who filed the suit claimed they faced swift retaliation. Crestwood did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which was approved by the Village Board on September 7, 2023, and finalized with a dismissal by U.S. District Court Judge Mary Rowland.

The lawsuit contended that the Denver Police Department violated the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

In 2019, Riccio was walking along the shoulder of Interstate 95 after a car accident when he encountered Officer Tyler Schulz. Riccio asked Schulz for help, but Schulz instead ordered him to get on the ground. When Riccio turned and began to walk away, Schulz commanded his canine to attack Riccio, resulting in injuries to Riccio’s left leg. Schulz had been sued in the past for similar conduct, and he left the Old Saybrook Police Department in 2022 for allegations of misconduct unrelated to those two lawsuits.

With certain exceptions, each person arrested or subjected to force by New York City Police Department officers during those protests would be eligible to receive $9,950 in compensation.

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.

The lawsuit was brought by LatinoJustice PRLDEF on behalf of twenty-one Latinx residents of Suffolk County, with Milbank LLP as pro bono counsel. Under the settlement, the SCPD agreed to establish precinct-level advisory boards, train all officers to combat implicit bias, improve and publicize traffic stop data, and implement other reforms, all within three years. The department also agreed to enhance Spanish-language accessibility and investigate all SCPD job applicants for ties to white supremacist organizations.

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.

The settlement came amid growing concerns over the financial and social costs of police misconduct in Chicago. The Chicago City Council on July 19, 2023, narrowly rejected a proposed $2 million settlement with the family of Darius Cole-Garrit, a twenty-one-year-old man fatally shot by police in 2014 after allegedly pointing a gun at officers. Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority had previously found the shooting justified.

The settlement came amid growing concerns over the financial and social costs of police misconduct in Chicago.

The settlement came amid growing concerns over the financial and social costs of police misconduct in Chicago.

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.  

A judge overturned his conviction and he was released in 2017, prompting Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop the charges against him. Brown received a certificate of innocence the next year. Brown alleged that he confessed to setting the fire after a detective choked him and chained him to a wall for five hours, but prosecutors presented no evidence in court to bolster this confession. Brown also sued Cook County, alleging that he was convicted, in part, because prosecutors lied to the jury.

Officer Joseph Lisciandrello shot and killed Brown, age twenty-six, during a May 2019 foot chase after officers stopped Brown. The City Council approved the settlement because Lisciandrello turned off his body-worn camera before firing nine times at Brown, killing him.

Habasek-Bonelli was unarmed when Simonetti confronted him outside his home in August 2021. Following the confrontation, Habasek-Bonelli was hospitalized and treated for trauma to his head and face, including a nasal fracture and lacerations that required stitches. Simonetti was stripped of his police powers after being charged with felony battery and official misconduct, and his criminal case was ongoing as of June 2023.

On June 23, 2015, Ramirez’s mother called 911 to report that her son was suicidal. When El Paso Police Officer Ruben Escajeda saw Ramirez attempting to hang himself, he fired his Taser at Ramirez, who then died. This was the second time in less than sixteen months that El Paso opted to settle a case involving the use of deadly force by police against people in a mental health crisis. Both lawsuits alleged that, under the leadership of late Police Chief Greg Allen, the El Paso Police Department poorly trained its officers on how to respond to mental health cases.

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 September 2020, Barnett called the Palm Springs Police Department’s non-emergency number to request a peaceful exchange of custody of her five-year-old daughter to her estranged husband. When Officer Michael Delaney arrived at Barnett’s home, however, he wrongfully told her that a temporary restraining order was in place that enjoined her from being present at her home. Delaney then arrested Barnett and drove her to the police station, but he then became aware that she had not been restrained from going to or occupying her home. Shortly thereafter, the patrol sergeant drove Barnett back to her home and released her from custody.

Under the terms of the settlement, former Officer Laurel Falconieri would receive $1.15 million, and Detective Leslie Martinez would receive $550,000.

According to court records, Clear Creek County agreed to pay $10 million, the Colorado State Office of Risk Management agreed to pay $3 million on behalf of the Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Department of Revenue, the Town of Georgetown agreed to pay $5 million, and the City of Idaho Springs agreed to pay $1 million. On June 10, 2022, Glass’s SUV became stuck in the mountain town of Silver Plume. Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Buen fatally shot him after Glass refused to get out of the SUV and law enforcement officers breached the vehicle. The settlement included reforms to officer training and crisis response. For example, Clear Creek County agreed to establish a crisis response team, and Colorado agreed to create a virtual reality training scenario for the Colorado State Patrol based on the shooting that will focus on de-escalation.

Austin Police officers allegedly hit Alexander, who was pregnant at the time, with “less-lethal” gunfire once in the stomach and once in the back. As of May 2023, Austin had agreed to pay more than $18.9 million in settlements to fifteen people injured by Austin Police officers during the 2020 protests. The lawsuits alleged that police officers used excessive force.

Code’s lawsuit alleged that Chauvin used excessive force even though Code posed no threat while handcuffed and was not resisting arrest. Chauvin allegedly twisted Code’s wrists and arms, slammed her head on the ground, pinned his knee to the back of her neck, and restrained her for four minutes and forty-one seconds. The second officer who was present did not intervene, and a supervising sergeant approved the use of force. Neither Chauvin nor the other officers faced disciplinary action.