City Council Finance Committee Approves Settlement To Family Of Man Dragged From His Cell
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ahead of Wednesday's Chicago City Council meeting, aldermen have given preliminary approval to more than $6 million in settlements for the families of two men who died while being held by police.
The City Council Finance Committee approved a $4.95 million settlement for the family of Philip Coleman, who died after being seen on videotape being dragged from his cell after being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun.
Back in 2012, 38-year-old Coleman had a violent psychotic outburst at his family's home.
His parents called police and asked that he be taken to a hospital. They took him to jail, where he was tased repeatedly and dragged from a cell unconscious.
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City Corporation Counsel Steve Patton said he eventually was taken to a hospital, where his belligerence continued.
"He was tased a total of 13 times during that melee," Patton said.
He had a bad reaction to an anti-psychotic drug and died.
Following Coleman's death, all Chicago Police are now required to have:
- Crisis Intervention Training
- Completing eight hours of basic training
- The number of officers receiving 40 hours of intensive crisis training, will double
- All must receive the training by the end of this year
"The changes that they've made, those should, over time, bring down the number of instance like this we have that we have to defend," Patton said.
Alderman Carrie Austin, who knew Coleman, said this case was badly handled.
"To know this person, he could have been my son, and for him to have been treated that way, that is absolutely unacceptable," Austin said.
But Austin said she supports the settlement for the sake of the grieving family.
The committee also approved a $1.5 million settlement in the case of Justin Cook, who died handcuffed in police custody when he suffered an asthma attack.
