A jury in Syracuse, Tennessee awarded a man $1,580,000 in a police brutality civil lawsuit on Oct. 23.
Alonzo Grant, 57, sued the city of Syracuse and police officers Damon Lockett and Paul Montalto citing they used excessive force while falsely arresting him in June 2014.
The civil trial lasted just two weeks. And it didn’t take the jurors long to reach a unanimous decision in Grant’s favor.
After deliberations, the jury found Lockett and Montalto used excessive force, falsely arrested Grant, and assaulted him during the arrest, Syracuse.com reports.
On June 28, 2014, Grant was arrested at his home after calling 911 during a family dispute. Grant’s pregnant daughter was causing a disturbance and refused to leave Grant’s house.
Grant’s daughter was gone by the time police arrived, but the officers continued to investigate.
Officers Lockett and Montalto described Grant as “highly agitated” after he punched a screen door, which the officers say gave them probable cause to make an arrest.
One of the officers tried to grab Grant, but a physical altercation began, which left Grant with multiple injuries that consisted of a broken nose and a busted lip.
Charles Bonner is Grant’s attorney, and had this to say following the million dollar verdict:
“Hopefully the city will understand the nature and extent of the harm that was caused to Mr. Grant when his Constitutional rights were violated. Alonzo did nothing wrong”
The jury awarded Grant $1,130,000. It awarded his wife Stephanie $450,000.
Even District Attorney William Fitzpatrick cleared Grant of the disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges.
The Citizen Review Board, which investigates police misconduct concluded the officers in this case used excessive force and lied in their police reports.
Any action taken against the officers?
Yes they were fired thankfully.