Minneapolis to pay $1 million in police misconduct lawsuits

Source: Star Tribune via Getty Images / Getty

One would think that in this greedy and capitalistic society large entities would generally prefer not to pay out millions of dollars in lawsuit settlements. It stands to reason that avoiding situations that could potentially end in expensive litigation would be paramount to say a company or a corporation or…a city. However, it seems like brutalizing and terrorizing the tax-paying citizens who make it possible to pay out those lawsuits is the priority. Heard you.

Minneapolis To Pay $1 Million Settlement To 3 People In Misconduct Lawsuits

The summer of 2020 will forever be remembered as “the summer of protest”. Following the death of George Floyd the streets filled with angry witnesses to police violence against Black bodies. Enough was enough and the people were pissed off. Consequently and tellingly, these largely peaceful protests gave some police the animus to carry out even more dirty deeds against the public. As a result, several lawsuits were filed and yesterday, according to the Star-Tribune, the Minneapolis City Council agreed to pay out $1 million to three victims of police violence. The biggest payout of $500,000 went to Atlanta photographer Jaime Bunkholt who was shot in the back of the head by a rubber bullet. Bunkholt suffered numerous injuries including, “numerous neurological injuries, a concussion, pain and suffering, medical bills, other injuries both permanent and temporary, as well as lasting emotional trauma.”

41-year-old Matigida Kromah was paid $390,000 for unspecified nervous system damage that has lead to continued medical bills and permanent damage.

Jennifer LeMay was paid $150,000 after officers shot both of her service dogs.

Officer Michael Mays and his partner, Daniel Ledman, were responding to a burglary report that night after someone at LeMay’s home accidentally tripped the alarm. In police reports, Mays wrote that “two large size pit bulls charged at” him before he started shooting.

Lemay’s lawyers says both officers are telling “bald-faced lies” which comes as absolutely no shock to us.