Cops Promoted After Paralyzing Man, Hurting Baby, and Losing $10M Court Case
On Monday, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill fired officer Daniel Pantaleo, five years after he choked Eric Garner to death. Garner's death and the city's refusal to discipline the officer who killed him ignited nationwide protests against police brutality and the lack of accountability for police officers who use lethal force. Pantaleo's termination was seen by many as long overdue.
But it is not unusual for police officers involved in high-profile use-of-force incidents to face no consequences.
In a 2008 case that made headlines at the time, Scottsdale police sergeants James Dorer and Rich Slavin shot a mentally ill man in the back, paralyzing him and causing him to drop his baby and fracture her skull, which sparked a lawsuit against the city by the man's parents.
Neither Slavin nor Dorer were ever disciplined for their actions, Scottsdale police confirmed last week. Yet those actions led to a $10 million out-of-court settlement, which was previously reported by the Scottsdale Independent.
Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/scottsdale-police-promoted-shooting-mentally-ill-pantaleo-new-york-11343502