Cop's punch to man walking to his mailbox costs city $495,000

The 53-year-old man was living in public housing and on assistance when he stepped out of his apartment and encountered seven cops preparing to execute a search warrant in a narcotics case. He got punched, then rich. (Minneapols Star Tribune)

Comments

[twerp]

However, if he were tazed, it would have been ok.

[Phranqlin]

If he was tazed, he might not have gotten a subdural hematoma. That's a life threatening injury.

[Miss-Black]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing Phranqlin. If some jerk punched me in the face so hard I ended up needed brain surgery twice I'd sue the hell out of them.

[KDP]

Helmets and fully automatic weapons belong in the hands of trained soldiers, not in the hands of public servants.

[Me]

He walked into the middle of a SWAT raid and then stood in front of the door like a deer in the headlights. Yes, not the brightest bulb on the string here. No wonder why he was on public assistance.

Now he's got his bennies in a lump sum payment. I hope they throw him off the dole.

[Sigh]

Sadly, many of our police are trained soldiers. Standing army and all that.

[Miss-Black]

"He walked into the middle of a SWAT raid and then stood in front of the door like a deer in the headlights. "

Oh, how did you react when that happened to you?

[chiarams]

"<>

Oh, how did you react when that happened to you?"

Seriously.

If I was in this guy's shoes, after I'd soiled myself, I probably would've stood there frozen too.

[sometimesilie]

I don't know about you, Me, but if I opened my front door and was confronted with a bunch of paramilitary types pointing machine guns in my face, I;m sure I'd pull a deer in the headlights myself.

The only shame is that the payout comes out of the taxpayers' pocket, and NOT the police who caused the lawsuit in the first place.

[Navy Chief]

Don't know how I would have reacted, but I hope it would have gone something like me saying 'Holy shit!' and then diving out of the way.

However, if it HAD happened to me, it would have been at my house (since I don't live in an apartment) and I'd have a bit more to worry about.

[Shelly]

Don't know how I would have reacted, but I hope it would have gone something like me saying 'Holy shit!' and then diving out of the way.

If he'd dived out of the way, I expect he would've been shot. The *last* thing I'd want to do if I found a bunch of guns pointed at me is to move, especially not quickly.

[lester]

gotta agree with shelly--i would have froze. also, it appears the cop used some good judgement, as he didn't shoot the guy.

[kevy]

Cops that cost the county that kind of money over lawsuits, need to lose their jobs. How many of us could cause our employers that kind of deficit and remain employed?

[Jack]

In the long run 500k might be cheaper than having this guy on public assistance for the next 30 years...

Although I'll be he'll be back on public assistance within the nexy 5 years....

[FatSean]

Excellent out-come. The pols will think twice about their aggressive 'anti drugs' nonsense when it starts dragging down the budget.

Legislating morality is expensive in many ways, and finally the expense is being represented in US Dollars instead of societal discontent.

[pms]

Well, I don't know how I would have reacted if that happened to me....but I sure know how I'd react now!!!.. PUNCH ME!!!! PUNCH ME!!!!!!!!

[Navy Chief]

@Sheila - I suppose that depends on where they were in the assault. If I came out and they stationary, I would be too. If they were charging with a door buster, I'm moving.

[nellagain]

FatSean,

glad to see you are up and around again.

However,

All law legislates morality. Drug laws are not special cases.

[Shelly]

Navy Chief, I assume you're addressing me. Did you bother to read the article? There was mention of police with machine guns crouching, but not a single mention of officers rushing the door with a battering ram.

From the article:
"Chatman likely didn't see the hand signals from Taylor, Bennett said. "You're looking at the business end of two submachine guns held by people who obviously would fire them if you did the least thing wrong," he said."

[Navy Chief]

@Shelly - Yes, sorry. Given the situatiion in the article, sttionary is good. I was posing hypothetcal...

[Shelly]

Navy Chief,
Understood. And yeah, if a battering ram is headed straight for you, you might want to jump out of the way.

[Adam]

Two brain surgeries to recover from a single punch? The cop needs to quit the force and get rich as a prize fighter.

[Get Real]

The judgment should be paid out of the cops retirement funds. The cop who threw the punch just donated his pension and benefits 100%. The balance should come out of current pension payments.

There is no reason to pass this cost on to the taxpayers.

[Charles Brobst]

The police must learn to operate within the Law.
Take it out of their pay.