$1.75 Million to Settle Case of Police Beating That Led to Brain Damage
by Christopher Zoukis
The guardian of a Seattle man who suffered brain damage as a result of a police beating has settled a federal civil rights claim for $1.75 million.
On May 29, 2010, Seattle police officers Grant Leavit and Katrina Stuckey contacted Brian Scott Torgerson at his Seattle apartment. The officers were pursuing a municipal warrant for theft of $500, and knew that Torgerson was mentally ill. When Torgerson became disoriented and began exhibiting the symptoms of his illness, the officers called for backup.
Torgerson was then allegedly taken to the ground, Tasered twice and severely beaten. Officers handcuffed him, tied his ankles together, held him facedown and put a hood over his face. According to the lawsuit filed by his guardian, Torgerson sustained grievous and permanent damage, including extensive brain damage, as a result of the attack.
Torgerson's suit alleged civil rights violations for the excessive use of force, and named as defendants Leavit and Stuckey, as well as Camilio Depina, Michael Virgilio, Andrew Marvel, Shaun Hilton, Vanessa Flick, Aaron Sausman, Ben Hughey, Michael Connors, James Norton, Trevor Tyler, Patrick Michaud, Matthew Didier, Daniel Auderer and the City of Seattle. According to KomoNews.com, the parties settled the case for $1.75 million on August 9, 2013.
Case: Torgerson v. Leavit, et al., United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Case No. 2:11-cv-00900 (August 9, 2013).
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Related legal case
Torgerson v. Leavit
| Cite | United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Case No. 2:11-cv-00900 (August 9, 2013) |
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