Police misconduct often brings unexpected expenses to taxpayers. In Kansas, some lawsuits have resulted in big payouts.
The Cato Institute, which tracks incidents of police misconduct, lists many incidents of police misconduct and payouts law enforcement agencies are making throughout the country.
Among aggregate data that site reported for 2010 includes several large payouts in Kansas. Those include a $7.5 million in Riley County for 10 years false imprisonment, a $350,000 payout to the family of a man who died after a Taser was used on him, and a $300,000 settlement with the family of a person killed in a car accident when he was hit by a speeding police officer.
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The Lawrence Journal-World described the $7.5 million settlement as a case where Eddie Lowrey was coerced into admitting to a rape he never committed. DNA evidence proved his innocence.
Sedgwick County courts approved a $300,000 settlement in 2014 in the case of a mentally ill man who was beaten by a sheriff’s deputy.
The Wichita Eagle reported the man had sued for more than $4 million and had died of stomach cancer. The deputy involved in the case was not held liable, but was fired after the incident.
KAKE News reported the City of Wichita payed out $925,000 in the case of a man who was injured during an arrest and spent several weeks in the hospital.
Kansas Lawmakers have considered legislation that would attempt to cut down on false accusations of police misconduct.
The Wichita Eagle reported 2015 legislation would give police officers the opportunity to see the evidence against them before they had to even answer questions about the case. It was a controversial idea – offering police rights the general public were not extended.
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