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The relatives of a 19-year-old black man who died while battling a police officer on Maryland’s east coast have reached a $5 million partial settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit. The agreement also calls for improved police training and policies, a family lawyer announced. Monday.
The family’s federal lawsuit alleges that police used excessive force on Anton Black after police chased him outside his family’s home in rural Greensboro, Maryland, in 2018 and attempted to detain him. The police handcuffed Black and tied his legs before holding his breath.
The lawsuit also accused police of trying to cover up the wrongful killing and falsely claimed that Black was addicted to drugs and displayed “superhuman” powers.
Black’s death prompted calls for an independent inquiry and legislative reform. A state law named after Black expanded public access to records on police disciplinary cases. It came into force in September last year.
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The settlement of the lawsuit has resulted in family claims against three towns in Maryland (Greensboro, Ridgely, Centerville) and former Greensboro Police Chief Thomas Webster IV, former Greensboro Police Chief Michael Pecho, and former Ridgely Police Chiefs. Gary Manos, Centerville Police Chief Dennis Lannon and former Greensboro Town Manager Janet Cleveland.
The settlement would provide three towns with updated policies governing the use of force by police officers, provide mental health training for police officers, and provide annual training on “implicit bias” and de-escalation techniques. is needed.
Black had been diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder. He was hospitalized less than two weeks after his death after his father called the police over concerns that his son was behaving strangely at home.
The agreement does not resolve the family’s claims against former Maryland chief coroner David Fowler and the state’s coroner’s office. Congenital heart disease, mental illness, and stress from the struggle likely contributed to his death.
The plaintiffs’ expert in the lawsuit, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University, concluded that asphyxiation was the cause of Black’s death.
“It was no coincidence,” family attorney Rene Swafford said at a news conference Monday.
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Police body cameras caught part of Black’s encounter with police on September 15, 2018. The video shows Webster confronting Black in response to his 911 call.
A boy, a friend of Black’s family, told officers that Black was “schizophrenic” and was behaving strangely. When I told him that I was being robbed, Black said, “I love you,” and turned around and jogged in the opposite direction.
Manos and Lannon were off-duty when they tried to help Webster arrest Black.
After Black drove back to his family’s house, Webster used a baton to break the car window and used a stun gun on Black. Black was knocked unconscious as Lannon, Webster, tried to restrain him.
“Even after Anton was handcuffed, the police ignored the danger they were creating and held Anton for approximately six minutes as he struggled to breathe, lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest. I left it on,” the lawsuit said.
Black’s mother stood nearby, shouting his name and demanding an answer. Black was later pronounced dead in hospital.
“They had to know he was dying,” said Anton Black, Anton’s father. “They killed my son for no reason.”
In January, a federal judge refused to dismiss the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake said body camera video of the fatal encounter did not conclusively contradict the family’s allegations that police used excessive force against Black. It concluded that a reasonable jury “could reach multiple conclusions” as to whether officers used a reasonable degree of force against Black.
County prosecutors did not ask a grand jury to consider criminal responsibility for Black’s death.
An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union in Maryland is one of the attorneys representing the Black family.
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Attorneys in the three towns and the other municipal defendants did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment on the settlement.
The family and Anton Black’s Coalition for Justice filed a lawsuit in December 2020. The lawsuit said Black died in a “chillingly similar fashion” to George Floyd, a black man murdered by Minneapolis police officers in May 2020. Racism and police abuse.