The Galesburg City Council will vote Monday on settling a federal lawsuit with the former owner of Uptown Bar, Steven “Champ” Coleman.
Aldermen can approve a $180,000 settlement for Coleman which doesn’t admit wrongdoing on the part of the city but avoids further liability.
The City will make a portion of the payment, estimated to be approximately $140,000, with the remainder being paid by the City’s insurer.
Coleman filed suit against the City and four Galesburg Police officers in 2019 claiming his 4th amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure was violated.
An officer had used a TASER on Coleman, and he was arrested for aggravated battery after they believed he was going to assault an officer.
The aggravated battery case was dropped by then-State’s Attorney John Pepmeyer after a preliminary hearing.
The incident took place on June 18th, 2018 when Coleman was holding a small family gathering in Uptown Bar which didn’t have a liquor license at that time.
Coleman let the officers into the building to show proof against their suspicions that alcohol was being served.
Surveillance video circulated on social media shows Coleman confronting Officer Alison Buccalo followed by Officers Jacob Thompson and Jared Tapscott pushing Coleman into a pool table followed by Tapscott deploying a TASER on Coleman.
All four of the officers were released from the suit, and the settlement only involves the City.
The City’s attorneys had argued in court that the officers had a reasonable suspicion that a crime either had occurred or was about to.
