Explanation
Background:
This Ordinance is submitted to settle the lawsuit captioned Ryan Pitts v. Emily Geier et al., United States District Court Case No. 2:25-cv-875 (the “Lawsuit”), in the amount of Thirty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($30,000).
The Lawsuit was brought by Ryan Pitts against three employees of the Columbus Division of Police, Emily Geier, Lucas Lauvray, and Daxston Cates. The lawsuit arises out of a traffic stop of Ryan Pitts.
On August 11, 2023, Columbus police officer Emily Geier effected a traffic stop of Ryan Pitts after observing what she believed to be suspicious driving behavior on the part of Mr. Pitts. Officer Geier was assisted by Officers Lucas Lauvray and Daxston Cates. Mr. Pitts subsequently filed a complaint with the Department of the Inspector General (DIG). Mr. Pitts complained that he believed that he was pulled over for no reason and that an officer involved with his stop had used profanity and been rude and discourteous. After investigation, the DIG sustained policy violation allegations against Officers Geier and Lauvray, including a failure to provide enough reasonable suspicion for the stop, rudeness and use of profanity, and bias-based policing. The citation issued to Mr. Pitts by Officer Geier was later dismissed by the prosecutor in its entirety. This settlement will allow for resolution of all of Mr. Pitts’ claims related to the August 11, 2023 traffic stop.
Fiscal Impact:
This ordinance authorizes the settlement of a lawsuit captioned Ryan Pitts v. Emily Geier et al., United States District Court Case No. 2:25-cv-875; Funds were not specifically budgeted for this settlement; however, sufficient monies are available within Finance’s Citywide Account for this purpose. This ordinance is contingent on the passage of the 2026 operating budget.
Emergency action is requested for this ordinance to be effective immediately in accordance with the terms of the settlement of this lawsuit, which is in the best inte...
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