The city of Denver has spent nearly $6.2 million since 2004 to settle lawsuits involving police officers, and nearly all of the payouts were for allegations of excessive force.

City Attorney David Fine revealed those details Tuesday in a report to a City Council committee.

Council members had asked Fine to research litigation patterns after controversy erupted last month over a video that showed an officer beating a 23-year-old man who was talking on a cellphone.

The report did not compare Denver’s police litigation payouts with other cities.

Since 2004, the average settlement in Denver for an excessive-force claim was about $97,000. The city paid nearly $3 million to settle three lawsuits, pushing the average up. In all, the city paid out $5 million in settlements for excessive force since 2004.

The city attorney’s office has handled 63 excessive-force lawsuits against police since 2004, ranging from a high of 16 last year to a low of six in 2007.

“The general conclusion I would give you is that the number of excessive-force cases we have seen filed, and that we have handled, have remained relatively static in the last few years,” Fine told council members. “Excluding settlements in a few egregious cases, you don’t see a trend of payments going up over time.”

The city paid $1.32 million to settle a lawsuit in 2004 filed by the family of Paul Childs, 15, who was fatally shot to death in 2003.

The city spent another $900,000 in 2007 to settle a lawsuit over a 2004 fatal shooting of unarmed 64-year-old Frank Lobato.

A $885,000 payout in 2009 settled a suit filed on behalf of Juan Vasquez, 16, who contended an officer stomped repeatedly on his chest.

Last month, the department faced controversy after two officers were docked three days’ pay in the beating of Michael DeHerrera, then 23. Video of the incident showed DeHerrera doing nothing but talking on a cellphone on a street corner in Lower Downtown.

Safety Manager Ron Perea resigned last month after he faced criticism for keeping the two officers involved in that case on the force and for keeping on the force an officer accused of beating another man.

The department has reopened an internal-affairs investigation into the DeHerrera incident, which resulted in a $17,500 settlement. The discipline in the other case is under review.

Police Chief Gerry Whitman said such incidents are isolated and need to be put in context, considering the city’s police force makes more than 400,000 contacts with the public in a typical year.

“The statistics show we have a well-behaved, well-controlled police force,” he said.

“The cops know unnecessary force won’t be tolerated and that departing (from the truth) won’t be tolerated and that not reporting another officer’s excessive use of force won’t be tolerated,” Whitman said.

Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com