Roommates, we previously reported back in January 2018 that Sterling Brown from the Milwaukee Bucks was arrested in a Walgreens parking lot after he was accused of parking in a handicapped space. Sterling approached officers as they ticketed him, and the situation quickly escalated when police tackled him to the ground. Sterling was tased and police charged him with resisting arrest; however, the charges were dropped.
Sterling filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department in June 2018 following the incident. In September 2019, the city of Milwaukee offered him a $400,000 settlement, which did not include an admission of their liability. Sterling declined the offer. According to The Athletic, today, it was reported that Sterling had been awarded $750,000 in his lawsuit. Also, the City of Milwaukee made a statement admitting to a constitutional violation and has committed to incorporating changes to the Milwaukee Police Department standard operating procedures.
The Milwaukee Police Department claims the changes must be implemented within 180 days of execution of the settlement agreement. Milwaukee City Attorney Tearman Spencer and Assistant City Attorney Robin Pederson wrote a letter to the city’s Common Council requesting authorization to execute the settlement agreement. An excerpt from the statement stated, ”Because of the unpredictability of a trial, and the City’s risk for exposure to compensatory and punitive damages, as well as additional attorney fees and costs, we recommend that this matter be settled for that amount.”
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This is a big win for Black men and women across the United States who have been victims of police brutality and have been fighting for change.
