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, 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.

In 2018, the City of San Jose paid a $125,000 settlement to five men who were arrested for lewd conduct in an undercover operation and ultimately found to be innocent. The investigation that resulted in these charges targeted and discriminated against the gay community.

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.

According to the reporting of local news source 7 Action News, the City of Detroit paid $19.1 million for police misconduct settlements between 2015 and 2018. Two of the larger settlements, for $400,000 and $925,000, respectively, arose from unlawful shooting claims.

In 2017, the City of Ferguson paid $1.5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Michael Brown, who was killed by officer Darren Wilson in 2014.

According to The Denver Post’s review of data provided by the Denver City Attorney’s office, the City of Denver paid nearly $28 million for police and jail claims from 2004 to 2017. During the same time period, 82 percent of all settlements sent to the Denver City Council for approval (a total of $33.7 million) were for police and jail related claims. In September 2019, the Denver City Council approved a settlement total of $500,000 in an excessive force and malicious prosecution lawsuit filed against the Denver Police Department.

In 2017, Montgomery County, Maryland reached a $45,000 settlement with photographer Mannie Garcia for a 2011 wrongful arrest.

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

The City of Cleveland paid more than $13.2 million to settle police misconduct lawsuits between 2014 and 2016, including a $6 million settlement to the family of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot by Officer Timothy Loehmann in November 2014.

In 2016, the City of New Orleans reached a settlement worth $13.3 million for 17 plaintiffs, including individuals who were injured and families of people who were killed during violent interactions with police in the weeks prior to and following Hurricane Katrina.

In 2016, Waller County, Texas paid $1.9 million to the family of Sandra Bland, who died in police custody after initially being pulled over for failing to signal a lane change.

In 2012, the St. Louis Police Department paid $212,500 to the family of Normane Bennet, who was shot by police following their pursuit of him in an attempt to make a drug arrest. In 2013, the department agreed to pay $400,000 to the family of Cary Ball, who was shot 212 times by police following a pursuit, and also paid $900,000 to the survivors of Anthony Lamar Smith, who was fatally shot by police. According to a review of police settlement cases between 2010 and early 2016, these were among the largest of 44 settlements—totaling $4.7 million—by the department.

According to an analysis of city records conducted by The Columbus Dispatch, lawsuits and claims of police misconduct and civil rights violations resulted in $1.9 million in payouts by the City of Columbus from 2010 to 2015.

According to an analysis of data provided by the Austin City Law Department, between 2013 and 2015, Austin paid an average of $1.1 million annually in settlement payouts, including for police misconduct.

According to an analysis of data provided by the El Paso City Attorney, between 2013 and 2015, El Paso paid an average of $960K annually in lawsuit settlements, including for 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.

In 2015, the City of Seattle paid nearly $2 million to Nathaniel Caylor, who was shot in the face by police. It was the largest excessive force settlement in the city’s history.

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.

In 2015, Fairfax County, Virginia agreed to pay $2.95 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of John Geer, who was shot and killed by a county police officer in 2013.

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.

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 Houston spent $3.2 million on police misconduct cases.

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 Dallas spent $6.9 million on police misconduct cases.

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.

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.

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.