Roommate, we reported back in January 2018 that Sterling Brown was arrested by the Milwaukee Bucks in a Walgreens parking lot after he was accused of parking in a disabled space. Sterling approached the officers when they gave him a ticket and the situation quickly escalated when the police pushed him to the ground. Sterling was berated and accused by police of defying the arrest. However, the fees have been dropped.
Following the incident, Sterling filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department in June 2018. In September 2019, the City of Milwaukee offered him a severance payment of $ 400,000 that did not include approval of their liability. Sterling turned down the offer. According to The Athletic, it was reported today that Sterling was awarded $ 750,000 in its lawsuit. In addition, the City of Milwaukee issued a statement admitting a constitutional violation and pledging to make changes to the Milwaukee Police Department Standard Operating Procedures.
The Milwaukee Police Department claims the changes must be implemented within 180 days of the settlement agreement being executed. Milwaukee City Attorney Tearman Spencer and City Assistant Attorney Robin Pederson wrote a letter to the City Council asking for approval to execute the settlement agreement. An excerpt from the statement reads: “Because of the unpredictability of a lawsuit and the city’s risk of incurring damages and punitive damages, as well as additional attorney fees and costs, we recommend settling this matter with that amount.”
This is a huge win for black men and women in the United States who have been victims of police brutality and have fought for change.
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