Columbus To Pay $400K To Settle Officer’s Use Of Excessive Force Case

Cameryn Standifer, 27, accused a Columbus police officer of using excessive force when he arrested him i 2018 — Image via The Columbus Dispatch

 

The city of Columbus has agreed to pay a Black man $400,000 after he filed an excessive force complaint against a police officer. Cameryn Standifer, 27, filed the case after sustaining injuries while being arrested by Columbus police officer Brandon Harmon, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The arrest in 2018 was the result of an unpaid traffic ticket. And, while the jury was deliberating, the city opted to settle the civil complaint. During his November trial, Standifer’s attorneys maintained that the injuries he incurred in a car accident were exacerbated by Harmon’s acts.

Standifer needed medical attention for injuries received during the arrest, and his medical expenditures approached $1 million. The Black guy filed the case, seeking compensation and bill repayment.

“On behalf of our client, we are extremely pleased with the outcome of settlement negotiations,” Standifer’s attorney, Jessica Olsheski, said. “This will improve Cameryn’s opportunities for success in his life going forward.”

Olsheski further stated that the settlement includes compensation for Standifer’s new injuries as well as emotional pain and distress as a result of his contact with Harmon. However, she claims that the sum does not cover an infection Standifer contracted shortly after his release from incarceration.

The arrest occurred in August 2018 at a residence on the Far East Side. After receiving many reports of criminal activities, Columbus police officers went to the address. After getting authorization, the cops entered the house and took the identity of the people inside.

According to court filings, Harmon discovered Standifer had an ongoing warrant for an unpaid traffic ticket after running the Black man’s social security number. Harmon is seen instructing Standifer to get up from the couch and put his hands behind his back in the arrest video. And once Standifer does as he is told, Harmon instructs him to calm down. Later, he can be seen tackling the Black man to the ground.

Standifer’s counsel stated that their client was severely injured in an automobile accident in May 2018. In the court records, they also said that a leg injury Standifer was nursing was reopened as a result of Harmon tackling him to the ground. They also stated that their client had another injury to his right arm. However, after the arrest, Harmon indicated in the use-of-force report that Standifer had locked his arms out, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Standifer sought therapy at the OhioHealth Grant Medical Center a few days after his release from jail. His counsel stated that he was admitted for about a month and that he had to go through many treatments after that.

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