Summary: A man from Alabama who sued police officers from the Birmingham Police Department has settled for $1,000 while his lawyers will take home $459,000.
A man in Alabama who sued for being hit and kicked by police officers after he led them on a high-speed chase has been awarded $1,000 in a settlement with the city of Birmingham, according to Yahoo News.
According to officials, the attorneys for the man will bring home $459,000 from the case.
The incident became public when video of it surfaced. The incident took place in 2008 and the video showed officers kicking and punching Anthony Warren as he was on the ground. He led them on a high-speed chase lasting more than 20 minutes.
Warren is in the middle of serving a 20-year sentence for attempted murder that came from the chase. He ran over a police officer during the chase. He also hit a school bus and a patrol car prior to crashing his vehicle and being ejected.
The lawsuit filed by Warren was done so on the federal level. He accused five of the police officers from the Birmingham department of excessive force. Michael Choy, the attorney for the officers, said Warren’s attorneys will receive $100,00 for expenses and $359,000 for fees.
The agreement was approved by the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday after being reached last month. Birmingham decided to settler in order to avoid any further litigation and higher payouts, according to Choy.
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