Attorney: Man Pepper Sprayed By Keller Police Officers To Receive $200K Settlement From City
KELLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A man who was pepper sprayed by officers in Keller while videotaping his son's encounter with police over the summer is set to receive a $200,000 settlement from the city, the man's attorney said Sunday.
The incident in August 2020 was captured on bodycam footage, which showed Marco Puente being sprayed and arrested while recording his son's traffic stop.
The bodycam video showed officer Blake Shimanek telling officer Antik Tomer to arrest and pepper spray Marco Puente for recording the encounter. An investigation found Marco Puente did nothing wrong after Shimanek claimed he was blocking the road.
The department received backlash for the incident, and Keller Police Chief Brad Fortune said it "caused great disappointment and regret." He apologized for the incident.
Now, Marco Puente's attorney said in a statement that he is receiving the settlement for damages caused by the officers.
"The Puente family is pleased to have this unfortunate and needless situation behind them. This settlement will justly compensate both Dillon and Marco for the damages Officers Blake Shimanek and Ankit Tomer caused them. In addition, the Puentes have also accomplished their goal of demanding accountability from law enforcement by placing a spotlight on this disturbing display of police misconduct, as it received nationwide attention and reaffirmed that this behavior will not be tolerated in communities like Keller. This settlement demonstrates that the City of Keller took this case seriously. While the Puentes recognize and appreciate that Chief Fortune acted quickly in addressing the serious issues in this case, it is disappointing that these officers are still employed at the Keller Police Department."
As for punishments, Shimanek was demoted two ranks and was taken off patrol for an unspecified time. Tomer was not punished after an internal investigation.
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