Legal news for Maryland wrongful death attorneys – A Baltimore jury awarded the family of a police brutality victim $7.4 million in damages after a wrongful death trial.
Three officers who faced a $100M suit have been ordered to pay $7.4M for wrongful death of a man.
Baltimore, MD (www.NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – The Baltimore police who faced a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit were ordered to pay $7.4 million to the family of the man who died of injuries resulting from their conduct, as reported by NewYorkInjuryNews.com and The Baltimore Sun.
As previously reported by NYIN, the relatives of Dondi Johnson Sr. claimed the officers Michael Riser, Sendy Ferdinand and Nicole Leake were negligent and committed police brutality, including battery, assault, fraud, concealment and conspiracy.
The suit claimed that Leake drove recklessly and failed to place Johnson in a seat belt and the actions of the police lead to Johnson’s death on December 7, 2005.
The jury found Tuesday, April 6, 2010 that Ferdinand and Riser acted negligently by detaining Johnson, handcuffing him and requesting he be taken to Central Booking and Intake Center, rather than giving him a citation. The jury found that Leake, the driver, acted with gross negligence.
The city was not named in the suit, but George Nilson, the City Solicitor, said it provided the officers’ lawyers. He also told reporters that if the officers were found liable, the city would decide whether to pay through city funds or force the officers to pay on their own.
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi reported the officers were still on the force and no action against them had been taken.
Legal News Reporter: Tara Monks – Legal news for Maryland wrongful death attorneys.