City Council Approves Settlement For Family Of Philip Coleman
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Another multi-million-dollar payout for police misconduct approved by city council today, this time for the 2012 death of Philip Coleman.
CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini successfully fought to get the police video released, showing what happened to Coleman before his death.
Philip Coleman was shot with a Taser 16 times, choked and struck with batons after suffering a mental breakdown.
"I saw some inhumane people, supposedly public servants, violating everything in trust that they could do in one night to a helpless individual," said Percy Coleman, Philip's father.
Percy Coleman says his son, a University of Chicago graduate with no criminal record, should have been taken to a hospital not a jail.
"The Chicago Police Department they will not change themselves internally," Percy Coleman said. "They can't. Their culture and history is too strong against them."
He says it shouldn't have taken three years and our CBS 2 investigation to get the video released.
Coleman family attorney Ed Fox says the video contains numerous acts of misconduct. Some officers were even seen laughing yet no one has been disciplined.
"It's not just about money for them and it never was," Fox said. "Part of what this was about was making positive change in the community because they don't Philip's death to be in vain."
Alderman Ariel Reboyras, chairman of Public Safety Committee, says IPRA, which cleared the officers then launched a new investigation after we forced the videos release, dropped the ball.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the police bureaucracy failed the Coleman family and now the taxpayers are paying for it," said Alderman Ed Burke.
Mayor Emanuel says some officers will get more training on handling calls involving mental illness.
The Coleman family wants every officer trained. They also want those involved here to be prosecuted.
