Black man paralyzed by Iowa officer in shooting gets historic $8 million settlement
A Black man who was paralyzed from a police shooting has reached an $8 million settlement with an Iowa city, officials say.
Attorneys for Jerime Mitchell, who was shot by a Cedar Rapids police officer during a 2016 traffic stop, said Monday the settlement is believed to be the largest for a police-involved shooting in the state’s history. A jury trial in the long-running case was scheduled to begin Tuesday.
States Insurance, the insurer for Cedar Rapids, agreed to pay the Mitchell family to dismiss the claims without acknowledgment of fault or liability by the defendants, according to the city. The insurance company has control over the settlement of the case and decided it was in the city’s best interest, officials say.
“This case has been divisive to our community and it is our hope that we can continue to enhance relationships that build trust between our community and our Police Department,” the city said in a statement. “We all share the desire for a safe community.”
On Nov. 1, 2016, Cedar Rapids police officer Lucas Jones pulled over Mitchell because his license plate light was purportedly not functioning, the Associated Press reported.
Dash cam video obtained by The Gazette shows a struggle ensued as Jones attempted to handcuff Mitchell. When Mitchell attempted to drive away, Jones fired into the truck as he clung to the moving vehicle.
Activists called for Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden to appoint a special prosecutor in the case because he had previously cleared Jones in a 2015 fatal shooting, the AP reported. But he took the case to a grand jury, which declined to charge Jones.
Vander Sanden argued Jones was defending himself and said police found a pound of marijuana in Mitchell’s truck, the AP reported.
However, Jones was fired by the police department for “violating department policy,” The Gazette reported.
Mitchell’s attorney, Larry Rogers Jr. of Power and Rogers in Chicago, said the lawsuit forced a deposition from Jones, who admitted to intentionally shutting off his audio equipment to hide policy violations during the shift prior to Mitchell being shot. Jones was fired in June 2020 based on the deposition testimony, Rogers said.
“While the settlement will allow Jerime and (his wife) Bracken to provide for Jerime’s future health care needs, the most significant result of the litigation for Jerime and Bracken was getting Lucas Jones fired as a police officer,” Rogers said in a statement.
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