Posted on 01/18/2005 9:48:42 PM PST by SmithL
LOS ANGELES -- A former Inglewood police officer who was fired for punching a black teenager and slamming him against a patrol car was awarded $1.6 million Tuesday by the jury in a discrimination lawsuit he and his partner brought against the city.
The jury voted 11-1 in favor of the verdict for Jeremy Morse, said defense attorney Gregory Smith. He said the jury was unanimous in awarding $810,000 to Morse's partner, Bijan Darvish, who had been disciplined in connection with the 2002 incident.
"This is not the first time police officers have been trapped in race situations where they suffered unfairly," Smith said in a phone interview after the verdict was read. "This will have an impact in police departments across the country."
Morse, 27, said he was very happy with the verdict.
He had previously faced a charge of assault, but a judge dismissed it in February 2004 after two juries deadlocked. A jury acquitted Darvish of filing a false report.
A bystander videotaped Morse in July 2002 punching handcuffed Donovan Jackson in the head and slamming him onto a patrol car in Inglewood, just south of Los Angeles.
Morse, who is white, said he reacted to Jackson grabbing his testicles.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
It'd saved them money to stand behind these guys when the media declared them "unfit"
The powers that be overeacted and now they're paying for it. (actually, the taxpayers are). Regardless, PCism was at the root of this issue. Crucify the cops because of local outrage.
I remember that case. Interesting update.
Yepper ;- )
I remember this incident and the media totally and unfairly painting the cops in a bad light.
was awarded $1.6 million
and let me guess .....the punk who f***ed with this cop will pay that right??? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... wrong answer, you Californians will
Michael Savage led a crusade for helping this officer out on his legal bills. I guess it helped.
Yep...setting the police up with a hidden camera and carefully edited video to make a situation LOOK as though it could POSSIBLY be racist seems to be hobby with some people. I remember the original video of the situation and have never been able to believe the department so cravenly scapegoated those two in order to appease the gang bangers.
It's great to see the good guys winning one for a change!
Ping
Some suggested that it was a set up and now it looks like it was. Otherwise, how would the cops get so much in restitution?
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