Revolutionary Precedent: EVERYTHING Cop Owns is Seized to Pay Back Man He Paralyzed
Claire Bernish
TheFreeThoughtProject.com
January 13, 2017
Palm Beach, FL — In what could be one of the most effective solutions for excessive force by police, federal marshals seized the personal possessions — from the sofa and lamps to clothing and an iron — of a South Florida deputy who shot a man holding a cell phone, paralyzing him.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy Adams Lin spotted 19-year-old Dontrell Stephens in a “high-crime area” — the man’s own low-income neighborhood — on September 13, 2013, riding a bicycle in a manner the deputy found suspicious.
Lin stopped the youth, who dismounted the bike with a cell phone in his hand and slowly approached the officer. Just outside the range of dash cam video, the officer shot Stephens four times — claiming he was in fear for his life — but footage and evidence clearly showed the claim to be baseless.
Three of the bullets remain lodged in Stephens’ body, according to the Sun Sentinel — two in his arm and one in his spine, which left him paralyzed and dependent on a wheelchair for mobility.
In a lawsuit against Lin and the sheriff’s office, a jury awarded Stephens over $23.1 million — an amount later slightly lowered to $22.4 million — which, as standard practice, would come straight from the pockets of taxpayers.
Since Florida law places a $200,000 limit on payouts like that awarded to Lin’s victim, the case must go before Florida state legislature — but that may never happen. While the settlement languishes, Stephens’ attorneys demanded Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw to make good on the $200,000 — but he balked and filed an appeal.
The Rest…HERE
