From [HERE] Genesee County has agreed to pay $630,000 to settle an excessive force lawsuit stemming from an incident between a Latino inmate and multiple deputies at the county jail, all were white.
Jail inmate Fernando Davis filed the lawsuit claiming he was beaten and pepper sprayed after being lodged at the Genesee County Jail for suspicion of drunken driving. He was represented by attorney David Blake of the Pleasant Ridge-based Romano Law firm. U.S. District Court records show the case was dismissed Aug. 27 after the settlement was reached.
Davis filed the lawsuit in March 2011 claiming he was severely injured when multiple deputies allegedly beat him and sprayed him with pepper spray inside the jail after being transported there March 24, 2009, by the Michigan State Police.
The deputies claim that Davis was resisting them and they had to respond accordingly to obtain compliance, according to arguments made by their attorneys in the case.
Jail surveillance video recorded the altercation at the center of the legal battle, which allegedly began after a shoe Davis was wearing was sent in the direction of deputies. [MORE]