CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago aldermen have agreed to pay $9.5 million to a man who suffered catastrophic injuries when he struck his head on the pavement after being shocked by a police Taser.
The settlement approved by the City Council on Wednesday adds to the more than $500 million the city has paid out in lawsuits against police officers.
Aldermen have said they had little choice after a jury this year found the officer used excessive force on Jose Lopez during the 2011 incident that left him a quadriplegic who will require full-time care the rest of his life.
That jury had not yet decided on damages and there was a possibility that it could have awarded Lopez far more than $9.5 million.
