City Gives $4.9 Million To Family Of Man Police Tased On His Jail Cot

By Mae Rice in News on Apr 4, 2016 4:18PM



Screenshot from the disturbing video of police dragging Philip Coleman out of a jail cell.

The city will give a $4.9 million settlement to the family of a man who died in police custody in 2012 after being tased in his jail cot and dragged by the arms from his cell, the Sun-Times says aldermen were told Monday.

The family of Philip Coleman, a 38-year-old black man, will receive a settlement almost as large as Laquan McDonald's family's $5 million settlement, which they received before footage of McDonald's shooting death was released. Coleman's family's settlement, however, comes after the city voluntarily released video footage of Coleman's ordeal this past December. (Footage of Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times was only released after a court order.)

It's common practice for the Chicago Police Department to spend taxpayer dollars to settle police brutality cases, including cases where the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) ruled that the use of force was justified. Since 2004, Chicago has spent $642 million on police misconduct cases, a figure that includes settlements, legal fees, and other costs.

IPRA initially ruled Coleman's death an accident, and the force used against him justified. However, once video footage of his treatment in jail was released, two of the cops involved in his case were found guilty of using excessive force: Officer Keith Kirkland and Kirkland's supervisor, Sergeant Tommy Walker. This settlement will replace damages in that case, which were originally to be awarded by a jury.

IPRA has also reopened their investigation into the Coleman case; executive IPRA director Sharon Fairley told the Sun-Times last week that the investigation would hopefully finish in "a couple of weeks."

When the Coleman video was first released, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement that, although Coleman's treatment in the video did not directly lead to his death, “I do not see how the manner in which Mr. Coleman was physically treated could possibly be acceptable."

Coleman died in the hospital shortly after the video was taken, due to complications from an antipsychotic drug. However, his autopsy showed the filmed incident left him with more than 50 bruises and abrasions. He was tased a second time en route to the hospital.

When the video was taken, Coleman was in police custody for allegedly assaulting his mother during a psychotic episode. Chicago Police have since announced plans to revamp their mental health policy, prompted by the fatal shooting of Quintonio LeGrier, a 19-year-old college student fatally shot by a police officer during a mental health crisis somewhat similar to Coleman's.