officers - The Black Vault

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to two men who were shot at and- 111.:1.:.
beaten by five officers before being The city of Los Angeles paid more than $11.3 million in
charged with attempted murder. police-relizted legal settlements and jury awards lizst year. Following
Because that case is on appeal, the are payouts"in excess of $1_DO,OOO: ·
award-believed to be the highest
in the nation last year-was ·not PLAINTIFF REASON FOR smLEMENT OR AWARD AMOUNT •
included in New York City statistics,
Olarsch said.
Dalton Street on Aug. 1, 1988. million
OniePalmet Damage during drug ·raid on Settled for $3.2'
. In Chicago, the nation's third Murphy and Katie Wrongful shooting by police $2.1-million award
most populous city behind New Pierson officers on May 26, 1985. settled for $1 ;8
York and Los Angeles, a spokeswoman
for the city's law depart­
Gilbert Amescua ·' Pe~ona1 ihju,Y suffered In Settled for $1.5
mjllion
ment said the cost of 170 settlements
and judgments from
onJan.20, 1987.
suicide attempt while in custody million
police-related lawsuits last year
Ronnie Melgar Burglary suspect suffered brain Award of $1.5 million
was about $5.9 million.
damage after being shot while settled for $1.45
In recent years, Detroit, the
fleeing police on Nov. 18, 1981. million
seventh most populous city,· has Jacoby and Wrongful shooting deatp of Settled for $Q.~2;000
averaged about $10 miliion a year Lamonte Smith .. ·unarmed man Oct. 19, 1985.
in payouts for suits against policeroughly
the same as New York. Paul Hutcherson Injury aris-ing from alleged settled for $500,000
medical mishandling by police
But officials said that the amount
officers on Nov. 13, 1978.
increased to $20 million in 1990.
William Foster, Death of two adults and Injuries Settled for $350,000
_ Detroit City Councilman Mel
LeroyMims to two juveniles in. a traffi~;:
Ravitz, who .compiled the figures,
\ accident involving a police
said the $20 million represented
pursuit on Jan. 1, 1986.
200 payouts stemming from the
"misbehavior of a relatively small
Albert Carey, Ollie . Wrongful death of Settled for $?00,000
B. Young purse-snatching suspect killed
number, of police officers." City
by probationary police officer
officials said Thursday that they
who accidentally discharged her
could not explain why the total was
firearm ori Dec. 14, 1984.
nearly double that of previous
~nnual figures, but they noted that
Laurie Chilcote Personal injuries when a criminal Settled for $185,000
suspect's vehicle struck her
Wayne County juries have a history
of giving high awards.
11, 1984.
during a police pursuit on Nov.
I
.p' hil Shiner, Los Angeles assist­
. ant city attorney, was surprised
that the city's payouts in
~990 were higher than most other
cities, but he cautioned against
~awing a conclusion that police
misconduct is occurring more fre­
(Iuently here.
' ' "Maybe if we had 26,000 officers
[like New York City], the police
}vould get better compliance from
suspects and maybe if we had
26,000 officers we wouldn't be
spending the large amounts we do
on lawsuits," Shiner said.
· The police totals include suits
alleging excessive force, false arrests,
'wrongful deaths; c~vil rights
violations, negligence and other
inisconduct, but not routine . traffic
uccidents. Of the 32 cases in which
the city made payouts last year,
eight involved police shootings and
13 suits alleged excessive physical
force such as beatings.
; The Los Angeles County Shertff's
Department last year resolved
131 lawsuits at a cost of about $5.4
~ion, said Robert Ambrose, assistant
county counsel, who noted
ihat two shooting cases accounted
~or $1.5 million.
' The increasing ~ost of . police
litigation in the city of Los Angeles
ean be traced to a change in
attitude on the part of jurors, said
Richard M. Helgeson, an assistant
city attorney in.charge of appeals.
; "If you trip and fall and break
·Luis Milton Alleged violation of civil rights, Settled for $1 77,500
Mu119les
false arrest, malicious
prosecution and excessive force
by a police officer after a traffi~
violation and police pursuit on ·
April 1, 1988.
Richard Young False imprisonment, assault and Award of$205,000
battery and violation of ciVil settled for $175,000
\.
rights at Parker Center on May
15, 1984.
Karen Kennedy .• False arrest and illegal strip Award of$138,220
search in 1983
Virginia Smith, Alleged trespassing, battery, Settled for $133, 120
Vickie Aaron and false imprisonment charges
arising from execution of a .
search warrant in 1988.
Mark Cecil Battery by police officers on Awarq of $98,000 '
Snodgrass Sept. 14, 1~86. settled for $100,000
Note: The total amount of judgments and settlements in 1990 resulting from
traffic accidents with police vehicles was $690,070.
Source: City Council Budget and Finance Committee
· Complied by Times researcher Cecilia Rasmussen
-your arm, a' jury might award you
$35,000, but if· your arm is l:!roken
·by a police officet' .putting hand­
. cuffs on you, you can bet it's a
six-figure settlement," he said.
"The jury can retaliate."
Helgeson pointed to the case of
Murphy Pierson, a 70-year-old
homeowner who last year received
a $1.8-million settlement of his suit
stemming from a police shooting in
1985.
"Normally, juries don't award a
settlement that high for someone
that old . . . it is not like it ·was a
little kid and looking at 50 to 60
·years left to live," Helgeson said.
"That jury award was big because
they were angry and there was bad
judgment on the part of the officers."
Pierson was wounded by police
..as he stood, shotgun in hand, on his
front porch after he had just chased
two drug dealers from his property.
Two police officers said Pierson
was shot after he ignored repeated
.warnings to drop his shotgun and
pointed the weapon at them. They
fired 11 shots striking Pierson in