By Emily Gurnon Source: St. Paul
Pioneer Press (Minnesota)
The city of St. Paul has reached an
agreement to pay resident Deshun Carter $86,500 to settle a federal police
brutality lawsuit.
The agreement is expected to be
confirmed by the city council at its Wednesday, May 9 meeting.
Carter won a $35,000 punitive
damages award from a federal jury last month. With attorney's fees, the final
output by the city could have been higher without the settlement, which also
stops any further legal action from either side.
The agreement is "not to be
construed as an admission of liability," the city asserted.
Carter, 31, alleged that St. Paul
police attacked him while he was barbecuing in his back yard on Sept. 26, 2009.
A federal jury ruled on April 16
that Officer Adam Bailey used excessive force on Carter.
Carter had alleged that Bailey and
Officer Thomas Weinzettel attacked him with Mace and a Taser and assaulted him.
The jury ruled that Weinzettel had
not used excessive force.
The $86,500 award is to be shared by
Carter and his attorney, Ashwin Madia.
At the time of the incident, Carter
was charged in criminal court with disorderly conduct, obstructing legal
process and having a loud car stereo. A Ramsey County jury acquitted him.
Had enough? Write to the Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal
hearings into the police problem in America.
Demand mandatory body cameras for cops, one strike rule on abuse, and a
permanent DOJ office on Police
Misconduct.