$100M For tased
After an Atlanta police officer tased Aman in 2018, forcing him to fall and break his head on concrete, a jury decided to give him $100 million. He is now paralysed and needs care around-the-clock.
The jury determined that the officer used excessive force. The Georgia NAACP claimed that, especially in the area where the victim is still residing, this is the largest payment they have ever heard of. They think that this decision may make it simpler for law enforcement agencies to be held accountable for the use of excessive force or other forms of police brutality.
Panhandling was the initial point of contact between Jerry Blasingame, 65 at the time, and APD officer Jon Grubbs.
Ven Johnson, Blasingame’s attorney, said: “He was panhandling and of course the police rolled up on him, chased him, and then ran after him.”
According to Blasingame’s legal team, the officer was around 10 feet away when he struck him in the back.
Johnson stated, “He can go or do anything he wants to do since he’s not under custody. Jerry then had a second head injury, many facial fractures, a brain injury, and a broken neck after falling face forward and face-planting.
Blasingame can be seen unresponsive and comatose in body camera footage.
Grubbs has been working for APD since 2014, according to his POST record.
“Do you honestly believe it’s a good idea to have someone on your force who is a $100 million liability continuing engaging with the public?” said Gerald Griggs.
Attorney Gerald Griggs, president of the Georgia NAACP, thinks the verdict might prompt APD to review the officers it hires and trains.
They had the option of handling the situation differently because there was no cry for assistance, according to Griggs. It conveys a clear message that residents of Georgia’s northern district, a portion of which is located in Atlanta’s Fulton County, are tired of this and want change.
APD declined to comment on the officer or the decision, which irrevocably altered the quality of life for a man.
“We’re really, very thrilled for Jerry,” Johnson said. “What we now see as a quadriplegic with just a little bit of movement in his arms, maybe now he will have money to support his care so that he can spend the rest of his life as best he can live.”
The City of Atlanta and the officer were both found accountable by the jury for breaching Blasingame’s civil rights. APD received $60 million, and Grubbs received $40 million.
