Columbia (MO) man wins $50,000 in police Taser lawsuit

[proud2BlibKansan]

COLUMBIA | A 24-year-old Columbia man has received $50,000 to settle a lawsuit against the city police department and two officers over their stun gun use.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Cadilac Derrick settled his federal civil suit earlier this month. The case was then dismissed from Missouri's Western District U.S. Court after it went to mediation.

Derrick was pulled over by two Columbia officers in a Feb. 24, 2009 traffic stop. A patrol car dashboard video shows the man being subdued with a Taser after he didn't immediately respond to a request to leave the car. Derrick's girlfriend and her 3-year-old child were also in the car.

Criminal charges filed against Derrick for resisting arrest were later dismissed A police internal affairs investigation found the two officers acted appropriately.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/16/3373380/columbia-man-wins-50k-in-police.html

[RKP5637]

1. K&R !!!

[monmouth]

2. If the two officers acted "appropriately" how come they had to pay? Typo maybe?..n/t

[jberryhill]

4. Because that is what the word "settlement" is all about

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. It doesn't seem appropriate to yank a guy out of his car like they did

and then drag him out of video camera range.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

6. in fairness they didn't drag him...

he ran out of the view. that being said, they did seem awfully anxious to get at him. did you see the little signal between the officers before it all went down (about the 2:05 mark)? wonder what that was?

sP

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. I wondered about that too.

I also want to know why they pulled him over in the first place.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

8. DWB? we can only guess for now... n/t

[2QT2BSTR8]

3. Here is the video for those that have not seen it.

[link:

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[MadHound]

9. Columbia police have become real thugs over the past twenty five years

Seriously, killing dogs, killing people, tasers use, etc. etc. The arrests and incidents that involve blacks are far above, percentage wise, than whites.

Notice a few things with the video that is linked in this thread. First, it is within the space of five seconds that it goes from a request for the man to step out of the car, to the cops tasering the guy and dragging him out. The only reason, this guy wants his ID back. Second, notice that the man's girlfriend is white, something that Columbia cops really don't like. In fact that is why they were probably pulled over. Third, notice that they drag Derrick off camera, and then hit him with the taser a couple of more times. You can hear his cries, but not see what went on.

Columbia has a cop problem, a bad one, and is doing little to get it under control. A citizen's police review board was finally pushed through, but it was neutered once it went into effect and is worse than useless now.

Thankfully I don't live in Columbia anymore, but I visit the place fairly frequently and always, always am aware of what is going on with the police around me.