Colorado officials reach $8.5 million settlement with woman who was left handcuffed in a police car that was hit by a train | CNN
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Local Colorado officials have reached an $8.5 million settlement with a woman who hospitalized in 2022 after being left handcuffed in a police SUV that was then hit by a train.

Local Colorado officials have reached an $8.5 million settlement with a woman who was hospitalized in 2022 after being left handcuffed in a police SUV that was then hit by a train.

The city of Fort Lupton and town of Platteville, Colorado, agreed on the settlement with the victim, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, according to a release from the Fort Lupton Police Department. The settlement amount will be split equally between the town and city and paid by their insurers, according to attorney Eric M. Ziporin, whose office represents the city.

Rios, who was a suspect in a road rage case, survived the September 2022 collision but suffered nine broken ribs, a broken arm and other injuries.

    • thejml@lemm.eeEnglish
      191·
      5 months ago

      30 months of probation?! That’s basically a slap on the wrist. That’s not accountability, that’s doing the absolute minimum to make it LOOK like “see, we’re accountable!”. Dude handcuffed a person in a car on railroad tracks.

      • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
        9·
        5 months ago

        And 100 hours of public service… you mean like his job?

        Take some overtime and sleep in a cruiser, he’ll have it done in two weeks anyway.

    • Mr. Camel999@programming.dev
      161·
      5 months ago

      Did you read the post you replied to? They said financially liable. Read through the quote you responded with and tell us where they are held financially liable. They are (rightfully) mad that it’s the taxpayers that are effectively paying out the settlement instead of the police force.

    • CheradenineEnglish
      92·
      5 months ago

      The settlement amount will be split equally between the town and city and paid by their insurers, according to attorney Eric M. Ziporin, whose office represents the city.

      Perhaps you should read it.

      • bazus1@lemmy.worldEnglish
        61·
        5 months ago

        paid by their insurers

        Oh, whew, at least it’s not the tax payers! You really got 'im with your crafty reading of the article.

        Edit: naw, I fucked up. My apologies. Carry on.

        • CheradenineEnglish
          6·
          5 months ago

          Is this sarcasm? I’m not sure.

          Insurance is not free, you pay for it, if you have a claim your premiums go up.

          Insurance companies don’t exist because of goodwill, they exist for profit.

    • octopus_ink@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      I guess that’s technically accountability. Doesn’t sound like much of a punishment.

      And this is damn near a unicorn. (and likely would have been swept under the rug without cam footage - just like every other case where cops see justice) Just like one black president didn’t signal the end of racism, a small percentage of cases where someone OTHER THAN taxpayers are on the hook for police misbehavior doesn’t signal the end of a need for reform, it signals a nearly imperceptible change to the status quo. I’m grateful for the change, but it’s barely a start.