Baltimore City pays $8.3 million in 2023 to victims of police misaction
BALTIMORE -- The City of Baltimore has paid $8.3 million to victims of police misaction this year, according to WJZ's media partner The Baltimore Banner.
The payments have gone to people who were victims of excessive force, people who were struck by police vehicles that were en route to emergency calls, and other incidents, the Baltimore Banner reported.
Overall, there have been 10 lawsuits in 2023 that have settled for a median amount of roughly $280,000, according to the Baltimore Banner.
In comparison, last year there were only eight settlements during the same period that had a median settlement amount of $109,500, the Baltimore Banner reported.
Terry Harrell, who was struck and killed by a police vehicle in 2022, is among the police misaction settlements.
The family of Harrell had accused Alexis Acosta—who was driving the patrol cruiser that struck Harrell—of being reckless.
Acosta was on his way to a call for a stabbing and his siren and lights were activated, according to authorities.
WJZ reviewed the officer's body camera footage which showed the officer had a red light less than a second before the collision.
Additionally, WJZ obtained a police training bulletin, which says in part that "any intersection controlled by a stop sign, yield sign, or a yellow or red traffic light requires a complete stop if the emergency vehicle operator cannot account for all visible traffic in all lanes."
Read more at the Baltimore Banner.