Explanation
This Ordinance is submitted to settle the lawsuit captioned Timothy Hawkins v. Bryan Williams, et al., United States District Court Case No. 2:21-cv-4291, in the amount of Three Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($375,000.00). On or about July 30, 2020, then Detective Bryan Williams filed a warrant for Plaintiff’s arrest in the Franklin County Municipal Court charging two counts of violating O.R.C. §2911.01(A)(1), Aggravated Robbery, a first degree felony, under case number 2020 CRA 11038. Plaintiff was subsequently arrested on September 15, 2020, in Orange County, Florida by the U.S. Marshals on this warrant and transported to the Orange County Correctional Facility to await extradition to Ohio. As a part of the Orange County Correctional Facility’s processing of incoming inmates, Plaintiff had to undergo a strip search and body cavity search. On September 21, 2020, the prosecuting attorney dismissed the charges and Plaintiff was subsequently released from the Orange County Correctional Facility that same day. Mr. Hawkins’ lawsuit names Columbus Police Officer Bryan Williams and Columbus Police Sergeant Ray Meister as defendants. Mr. Hawkins alleges, among other things, that: (a) he was arrested and charged without probable cause in violation of his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights; (b) Defendants caused Plaintiff to be falsely arrested and imprisoned, and battered; and (c) he suffered damages.
Funds were not specifically budgeted for this settlement; however, sufficient monies are available within Finance’s Citywide Account for this purpose.
Title
To authorize and direct the City Attorney to settle the lawsuit captioned Timothy Hawkins v. Bryan Williams, et al., United States District Court Case No. 2:21-cv-4291; to authorize the expenditure of the sum of three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars and zero cents ($375,000.00) in settlement of the lawsuit; and to declare an emergency. ($375,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Timothy Hawk...
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