Guy Beat by Police Gets $1K, Lawyers Get $459K

Anthony Warren accused 5 cops of excessive force in 2008 chase
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 24, 2014 11:00 AM CDT

Anthony Warren doesn't have much to show for his five-year legal battle with police. The Alabama man ran over an officer during a 20-minute high-speed chase back in 2008 before he crashed and was thrown from the vehicle. It was at that point, however, that an officer's dash cam caught police beating Warren as he lay on the ground. Though he's now serving 20 years for attempted murder, Warren chose to sue, accusing five Birmingham cops of excessive force, Reuters reports. A settlement in the case was reached last month and the city gave it the thumbs up this week: Warren will receive $1,000 in "nominal damages," while his lawyers will get $100,000 for expenses and $359,000 in fees.

The settlement was reached in part "to save taxpayer dollars," the officers' lawyer tells AL.com. The video shows officers hitting Warren for less than 10 seconds after he had hit a school bus, a police car, and the officer, who was setting up a spike strip during the chase. The lawyer explains that Warren got just $1,000 because the city was able to show his injuries stemmed from his car crash, not police brutality. Warren claimed the opposite. In a separate story, AL.com reports that city officials said "deadly force was warranted at various points during the chase," though officers were acting "to preserve Mr. Warren's life and the lives of innocent bystanders." Both sides agreed not to appeal. (More Birmingham stories.)

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