Panhandler who was paralyzed after being tased by cop is awarded $100 million
An elderly panhandler who was permanently injured after he was tased by an Atlanta police officer has been awarded $100 million by a federal jury, the Daily Mail reports.
Jerry Blasingame, 69, was paralyzed from falling and hitting his head on the cement and now needs round-the-clock care which costs $1 million a year, his attorney Ven Johnson told jurors. The jury found that Officer Jon Grubbs used unreasonable force against Blasingame, who was asking drivers for money on July 10, 2018, the day the incident happened.
Blasingame's conservator, Keith Edwards, sued the city of Atlanta and Grubbs for the cost of Blasingame's past and future medical bills.
Jurors ordered the Atlanta Police Department to pay $60 million and Grubbs to pay $40 million. Grubbs was allowed to return to full duty six months after the incident.
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"Edwards' lawsuit said Blasingame was on the street and asking people for money when Grubbs and another officer arrived and saw him talking with a driver. Grubbs stepped out of the patrol car and told Blasingame to stop, but he moved out of the street to a guard rail, and Grubbs ran toward him, according to the lawsuit," the Daily Mail reports. "'Grubbs gets out of the car and starts chasing my client - a 65-year-old man - and for what? For potentially asking people for money?' Johnson said. Johnson said the city did not make a thorough enough investigation into Grubbs' conduct and let him return to full duty six months after the incident and before the investigation was concluded."