An Illinois city has agreed to pay $1.25 million to a Ph.D. student who police reportedly struck at least 10 times and jailed for stealing a car that ended up being his.
The city of Evanston will finalize the million-dollar payout to Dr. Lawrence Crosby during their January 28 meeting. Crosby’s lawsuit, which was filed in October 2016, sought $50,000 from the city and arresting police officers for the false arrest and officers’ use of excessive force, according to the Evanston Review.
Crosby was obtaining his doctorate degree in material science and engineering from Northwestern University in October 2015 when a woman called the police on him for fixing a stolen car that actually belonged to him. The BBC reported that the woman followed Crosby from his apartment to the college before calling 911.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, news of the settlement comes nearly a week after the Evanston Police Department released dash cam footage of the encounter. In it, Crosby can be seen pulling into St. Mark’s church and exiting his vehicle with his hands up while five officers have their guns pointed at him.
The officers can be heard telling Crosby to “get on the ground” before they’re seen tackling him and striking him at least 10 times, according to the BBC.
At the beginning of the video, police Sergeant Dennis Leaks claims officers used force after Crosby ignored their commands and walked to the front of the vehicle to show he had a dash cam camera. Audio captured by Crosby’s dash cam and the 911 call were included in the 40-minute video.
The BBC reported that officers ultimately learned the car belonged to him—but charged him with disobeying police and resisting arrest. Crosby was acquitted of all charges at trial and filed a lawsuit a year after the incident.
“It is not easy for me to go back to that situation,” Dr. Crosby said during a recent press conference, according to WMAQ. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to get over that in my lifetime.”
[Featured Image: Evanston Police Department video screengrab]
