A federal civil-rights jury has awarded a Federal Way man $640,000 after finding a Federal Way police officer used excessive force when arresting the man, who was a bystander at an accident scene in September 2014.
The jury gave Josiah Hunter $40,000 for the excessive-force claim and tacked on $600,000 in punitive damages, which U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman said could be awarded only if the panel found the officer’s conduct “was malicious, oppressive or in reckless disregard of the plaintiff’s rights.” (Seattle Times, July 20, 2018) (King 5 News Video, July 21, 2018)
Police officers have to deal with many complex and dangerous situations as part of their duties on a daily basis. But this does not and cannot not excuse excessive actions by officers and departments.
Whether it is the unnecessary use of force, unwarranted investigations, or the abuse of authority by department leadership, juries in Washington are awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in judgments against police departments because of their conduct.
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