Current:Home > MyOregon jury awards man more than $3 million after officer accused him of trying to steal a car-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Oregon jury awards man more than $3 million after officer accused him of trying to steal a car
View Date:2024-12-23 18:59:54
SALEM, Oregon (AP) — A jury in Oregon has awarded a man more than $3.1 million after a police officer accused him of trying to steal a car he was fixing and allegedly used excessive force when arresting him.
That jury award included more than $2 million in punitive damages to Christopher Garza for false arrest, battery and the use of excessive force in the 2021 incident at a tire store in Salem.
Garza alleged in the lawsuit that on Sept. 17, 2021, Salem Officer David Baker grabbed him, shoved him onto the roof of his police car and handcuffed him with no justification for his arrest.
“Well, I feel vindicated,” Garza told Portland television station KGW-TV. “I feel good that justice has prevailed.
Trevor Smith, a spokesperson for Salem, said in an email Monday to The Associated Press that the city was evaluating the jury’s decision and had no comment.
Garza, a barber, lives next to the tire shop. He was with two other men and working on a car when Baker arrived and accused him of trying to steal the vehicle, according to the lawsuit. Garza said he suffered injuries to his neck, chest, wrists and left hand. He said he also underwent shoulder surgery for injuries suffered during the arrest, and that he thinks they might not fully heal.
“I went through one surgery, and I need another surgery,” Garza said. “My arm probably won’t work the same ever again.”
veryGood! (2169)
Related
- Army veteran reunites with his K9 companion, who served with him in Afghanistan
- Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey rejects calls to resign, vowing to fight federal charges
- Transcript: Sen. Mark Kelly on Face the Nation, Sept. 24, 2023
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla to welcome South Korea’s president for a state visit in November
- College Football Fix podcast addresses curious CFP rankings and previews Week 12
- Ohio State moves up, Washington leads Pac-12 contingent in top 10 of NCAA Re-Rank 1-133
- Fantasy football sizzlers, fizzlers: De'Von Achane delivers stellar game no one saw coming
- How would you like it if a viral TikTok labeled your loved ones 'zombie-like addicts'?
- Does your dog have arthritis? A lot of them do. But treatment can be tricky
- Biden tells Pacific islands leaders he'll act on their warnings about climate change
Ranking
- FC Cincinnati player Marco Angulo dies at 22 after injuries from October crash
- At least 1 killed, 18 missing in Guatemala landslide
- Amazon invests $4 billion in Anthropic startup known for ChatGPT rival Claude
- Looking for a good horror movie to creep you out? We ranked the century's best scary films
- What are the best financial advising companies? Help USA TODAY rank the top U.S. firms
- Thailand receives the first Chinese visitors under a new visa-free policy to boost tourism
- At least 360 Georgia prison guards have been arrested for contraband since 2018, newspaper finds
- Pennsylvania state trooper charged with using job to apprehend, forcibly commit ex-girlfriend
Recommendation
-
Quincy Jones' Cause of Death Revealed
-
North Carolina to launch Medicaid expansion on Dec. 1
-
El Paso Walmart shooter ordered to pay $5 million to massacre victims
-
United Auto Workers expand strike, CVS walkout, Menendez indictment: 5 Things podcast
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
Dane Cook Marries Kelsi Taylor in Hawaiian Wedding Ceremony
-
Tornado-damaged Pfizer plant in North Carolina restarts production
-
King Charles III and Queen Camilla to welcome South Korea’s president for a state visit in November