A woman who was knocked over a bench by a Tucson police sergeant last year during crowd control after a UA tournament loss reached a $100,000 settlement with the city.
The settlement for Christina Gardilcic, plus attorneys’ fees, was filed Tuesday in federal court.
In February, Gardilcic filed a lawsuit against Sgt. Joel Mann, Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor and Tucson after the city denied a $375,000 claim she filed in August 2014.
Stephen Weeks, Gardilcic’s attorney, could not be reached for comment late Thursday. Weeks told the Star in February that the lawsuit was filed to hold Mann accountable for “battery” and to bring about change in police training for crowd control.
When a rowdy crowd gathered on East University Boulevard on March 29, 2014, after the University of Arizona basketball team’s loss in the NCAA tournament, Gardilcic was leaving a restaurant and heading to a parking garage as police were trying to control the crowd.
Mann was seen on video knocking Gardilcic over a bench. She was talking on the phone and apparently unaware of his commands for her to get back.
Weeks said she was blindsided and suffered back spasms and a bruised left arm as a result of what she says was “excessive force.”
Mann was suspended without pay for 80 hours as a disciplinary measure.
In October 2014, the Pima County Atorney’s Office said it found “no criminal intent” in Mann’s actions but did say he was “overzealous.”
