A family claiming that Tucson police officers used excessive force while detaining them at the scene of an unrelated traffic stop in 2015 have reached a $300,000 settlement with the city.
The Wyatt family filed a legal claim against the city of Tucson as well as several Tucson Police Department officers in Oct. 2015, stating that the family members were assaulted when they were forced to lie on the ground outside of their home. The initial proposal asked the city for $80,000 to settle the claim.
A lawsuit filed against the city asked a jury to decide how much the city should pay, including court costs.
The Wyatt family was not part of the traffic stop but had left their house to investigate the nearby police presence. A poor description from a witness led officers to believe that they were the occupants from the car that had fled on foot.
Court filings suggest that a police dashcam video caught the occupants leaving the car that had been pulled over, but officers reportedly did not immediately review the video before detaining the Wyatt family.
One family member went to St. Maryβs Hospital after the incident, complaining of back, shoulder and neck pain.
The Tucson City Council signed off on a preliminary agreement on Monday after meeting with attorneys for nearly an hour in a closed-door executive session.
An attorney representing the Wyatt family, Randolfo Lopez, said the family was happy to reach an agreement.
βThey are glad to put this behind them,β Lopez said.
The Tucson Police Department referred all questions to the City Attorneyβs Office, which chose not to comment.
