$150,000 Excessive Force by Police
49 year old plumber was stopped by police while en route to a customer and was given two traffic summonses. After receiving the tickets, some additional words were exchanged and the plumber called one of the officers a “pathological prevaricator”. According to the plumber and his wife, who was in the vehicle, this enraged the officer who then began to choke the man. Eventually, a police lieutenant persuaded the man to get out of his van and the lieutenant tasered him in the chest, causing him to fall backwards and to sustain a laceration to the back of his head. My client was charged with various crimes and after a criminal trial, he was found not guilty of all charges except guilty of disorderly conduct. We sued the City for the use of excessive force and for civil rights violations. After receiving a “final offer” from the City in the amount of $20,000, we prepared the case for trial, at which point the case was settled for $150,000.