An Atlanta man who was left paralysed from the neck down after he was tased by a police officer while begging has been awarded $100m by a federal jury.
Jerry Blasingame had been asking drivers for money when he was confronted by officer Jon Grubbs on 10 July 2018.
An unarmed Mr Blasingame ran away from police, and fell and broke his neck when the officer shocked him with a stun gun.
Now 69, Mr Blasingame requires round-the-clock care costing $1m a year and has $14m in medical bills, his attorney Ven Johnson told jurors, according to the Associated Press.
On Friday jurors ruled that the Atlanta Police Department should pay $60m and Mr Grubbs should pay $40m, WXIA-TV and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“We are very, very grateful to this amazing jury and so proud of the amazing work they’ve done in holding this officer accountable and getting justice for Mr. Blasingame,” Mr Johnson said, according to The Journal-Constitution.
The Georgia branch ofthe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People told WXIA it was the largest verdict they were aware of.
The city has filed a motion asking for a directed verdict, which could affect the verdict. The judge is yet to rule on the motion.
According to the lawsuit, Mr Blasingame had been begging for money near the Atlanta downtown area when Mr Grubbs and another officer saw him speaking with a driver.
Mr Grubbs then began a foot pursuit of the then-65-year-old and tased him, causing him to “fall and seriously injure himself,” the suit stated.
Mr Blasingame suffered a severe spinal cord injury, has lost the use of all four limbs and will spend the rest of his life in a residential facility, his attorney said.
“Jerry Blasingame matters,” Mr Johnson told the jury. “Jerry Blasingame, and his suffering.”
Mr Grubbs was placed on six months administrative leave before returning to the APD, Mr Johnson said.
He said the investigation into the tasing had lacked thoroughness.
Representing the city of Atlanta and Mr Grubbs, Staci J. Miller said though the injuries were tragic, the police department’s training and policies on Taser use were not to blame.
