Iowa to pay $225,000 to settle lawsuit over state trooper's force; he put knee on man's neck

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald-AP

By RYAN J. FOLEY

IOWA CITY — Iowa will pay $225,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was injured when a state trooper knocked him over and put his knee on his neck during a 2017 traffic stop in eastern Iowa, according to documents released Monday.

The payment to Bryce Yakish ends a lawsuit he filed against the state and former Iowa State Patrol trooper Robert Smith in 2019, months after a Cedar County sheriff released dash camera video of the arrest. The lawsuit alleged that Smith assaulted and falsely arrested Yakish, lying about what happened.

The case also prompted scrutiny into other allegations of misconduct against Smith, who left the patrol in 2018 after a 30-year career. He was later hired as an officer in the small town of Durant but resigned after the video's release. Smith was also accused of using excessive force against a woman during an arrest in Durant.

Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington released the video in 2019 after announcing that he would no longer book any suspects arrested by Smith at his jail because he could not vouch for the officer's credibility. Prosecutors also dismissed several cases brought by Smith, saying he was no longer a credible witness.



Read more: https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/iowa-to-pay-225-000-to-settle-lawsuit-over-state-troopers-force-he-put-knee/article_6006dad1-45f5-5dba-be36-ab28c7243317.html

[Walleye]

1. States are going to have to raise taxes to pay all these settlements

[marble falls]

2. Someone and his employers are lucky he didn't kill or permenently damage someone.