Should This Deaf Man Accept This Settlement?
Monday July 13, 2009
Picture this: You are deaf and naked, having just stepped out of the bathtub. All you are wearing is a towel. Suddenly, police appear in front of you, pointing guns at you. When the police order you to show your hands, you don't understand. Then the police taser you.
This happened just under two years ago in November 2007 to Donnell Williams. The police had been responding to a false call about a shooting, so they broke into his home. Naturally, Mr. Williams sued, and now the city of Wichita, Kansas has offered him $50,000 in a settlement.
If this happened to you, would you accept a settlement offer of $50,000?
Comments
If both his hands were in view and the only weapon was a towel, I’d say go for the trial.
Democracy involves responsibility and that is to rein in excessive police power.
$50,000? Hell no. Triple it and that might be a step in the right direction.
Nope. Not enough.
The cops said that they were concerned about their safety. How? Donnell wore only a towel so there’s no obvious weapons on him! He should settle for more than $50,000.00.
I wouldn’t take it. He could have been killed if they were in the bathroom and the bathtub was filled with water. I would want more money if they broke into my home to fix what they broke! I wonder if they discovered who made the false call, he should would sue them too.
Yeah, right. Mr. Williams should fight for as much as he can get. This is obviously an excessive abuse of police power, and it should be addressed.
Yes, I agree with Tayler. It is not enough and I will ask them for more. I get really mad at the cop when doing that, can’t cops get trained about deaf people? Cops are dumb to deaf people.
I am with others what they regard the settlement to be too low.
The city settlement definitely cheapen the value of deaf people in general.
What about some high-profile hearing individuals? They would
get millions and millions!
RLM
$50,000.00? OUCH! REmeber all cities, counties, state and the nation is under financial crisis. Many have settled for less or more. There is not real price for what this man went thru. Is going to court worth it? A decision each of us have to make. A tough one.
No! Don’t take it. Go to court. A naked man, or in just a towel, certainly is no credible threat to the police. No reasonable juror will find for the police.
Kathy, FYI, almost every township do have some kind of insurance coverage to pay for anything damaging.
Or you rather see the monterary compensation come from that police officer’s own pocket and take his family house away?
RLM