Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

damnedifIknow

(3,183 posts)
Fri Sep 25, 2015, 12:48 PM Sep 2015

Honolulu paid $167,500 to two hikers who said they were brutalized by officers

Johnny Helm says he suffered broken bones in his face after he and a friend were mistaken for burglary suspects by Honolulu police officers while hiking on the Koolau mountains in 2012.

The two men said two of the cops slammed them face-first into the ground while arresting them for a crime they didn’t commit. They filed complaints with the Honolulu Police Commission over excessive use of force.

The commission agreed that the police overreacted, but court records in a lawsuit filed by Helm and his friend, Jonah Wellins, indicate that neither officer was punished by the department. Other officers who were found to have acted unprofessionally during the arrest also avoided punishment.

In fact, court documents show that top Honolulu Police Department officials, including Chief Louis Kealoha, found that the officers were well within their realm of authority when violently detaining Helm and Wellins.

We sued to punish the police and hopefully get HPD to clean up its act,” Breiner said. “But the position that HPD has taken is essentially that they bought their way out of the case without taking any responsibility.”

An attorney says a metal rod needed to be inserted through Johnny Helm’s eyelid to repair broken bones in his face."

http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/09/hpd-ignores-toothless-police-commission-in-use-of-force-case/

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Honolulu paid $167,500 to two hikers who said they were brutalized by officers (Original Post) damnedifIknow Sep 2015 OP
Should have been more AuntPatsy Sep 2015 #1
These settlements are not an effective deterrent to police brutality. Comrade Grumpy Sep 2015 #2
make the union pay for acts that are illegal and/or unauthorized. the union protects criminals, let msongs Sep 2015 #3
I wonder what the total annual payout is nationwide? MindPilot Sep 2015 #4
Tens, maybe hundreds, of millions a year. Comrade Grumpy Sep 2015 #5
Good point. Taxpayers are subsidizing DirkGently Sep 2015 #6
For every cop fuck up take 100k out of the Chiefs pension Jesus Malverde Sep 2015 #7
 

Comrade Grumpy

(13,184 posts)
2. These settlements are not an effective deterrent to police brutality.
Fri Sep 25, 2015, 01:09 PM
Sep 2015

The cops don't pay; the taxpayers do.

How can we make a police department feel the pain enough to change its ways?

msongs

(67,199 posts)
3. make the union pay for acts that are illegal and/or unauthorized. the union protects criminals, let
Fri Sep 25, 2015, 01:39 PM
Sep 2015

it pay for their damages

 

MindPilot

(12,693 posts)
4. I wonder what the total annual payout is nationwide?
Fri Sep 25, 2015, 01:51 PM
Sep 2015

How many kids could go to colleges, how many people could have healthcare, how many bridges could get fixed or any other of the myriad of services we "can't afford" would we have if municipalities could just keep their police from beating and killing innocent people?

 

Comrade Grumpy

(13,184 posts)
5. Tens, maybe hundreds, of millions a year.
Fri Sep 25, 2015, 02:13 PM
Sep 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/10/01/u-s-cities-pay-out-millions-to-settle-police-lawsuits/

<snip>

The Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier this year that the city has payed out nearly half a billion dollars in settlements over the past decade, and spent $84.6 million in fees, settlements, and awards last year. The Chicago Police Department is about three times the size of the Baltimore PD. Chicago the city has about four times as many people as Baltimore. Crunch those numbers as you wish. Bloomberg News reported that in 2011, Los Angeles paid out $54 million, while New York paid out a whopping $735 million, although those figures include negligence and other claims unrelated to police abuse. Oakland Police Beat reported in April that the city had paid out $74 million to settle 417 lawsuits since 1990. That’s a little more than $3 million per year. The Denver Post reported in August that the Mile High City paid $13 million over 10 years. The Dallas Morning News reported in May that the city has forked over $6 million since 2011. And last month, Minneapolis Public Radio put that city’s payout at $21 million since 2003.

<snip>

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
6. Good point. Taxpayers are subsidizing
Fri Sep 25, 2015, 02:25 PM
Sep 2015

... police brutality. Then the force keeps the lawsuit-producing officers on to cause more physical and financial damage?

Police departments need external review with input from the citizenry, period.

If there was ever any question that policing, like oil drilling and and auto manufacturing, cannot "regulate itself," we certainly have learned better by now.
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Honolulu paid $167,500 to...