City of Poughkeepsie agrees to $400K settlement in police intimidation, force case

Saba Ali, Poughkeepsie Journal
·2 min read
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The city of Poughkeepsie agreed to pay $400,000 to settle a case alleging police intimidation and excessive force stemming from an incident caught on video involving two teenage girls.

City of Poughkeepsie police responded to report of 15-20 kids fighting at Church Street and Hammersely Avenue on March 11, 2019.

Amid the scuffle, Officer John Williams threw the then 15-year-old Jamelia Barnett to the ground. A 17-second video posted to social media depicted the interaction, prompting many in the community, including Barnett's mother, Melissa Johnson, to question the force used on the teen. The interaction happened after Barnett ran towards her sister Julissa Dawkins, who was 12 years old at the time and was being arrested by Officer Kevin VanWagner.

Attorney William Wagstaff III holds a press conference with Melissa Johnson of Poughkeepsie, who is suing the city for the false arrest and use of excessive force on her daughters Jamelia Barnett, 16, right, and Julissa Dawkins, 13, at White Plains Federal Court Oct. 28, 2019.
Attorney William Wagstaff III holds a press conference with Melissa Johnson of Poughkeepsie, who is suing the city for the false arrest and use of excessive force on her daughters Jamelia Barnett, 16, right, and Julissa Dawkins, 13, at White Plains Federal Court Oct. 28, 2019.

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The settlement, which was passed by a unanimous vote by the city of Poughkeepsie Common Council on Thursday, states the city does not admit liability and the the agreement "reflects the Parties' compromise and Settlement of disputed claim."

"The constant cycle of police officers not being held accountable continues because it's not the officers that are held responsible financially, it's the taxpayers," said William Wagstaff, the family's attorney.

The city investigated the incident and concluded the officer did not use excessive force. The fallout from the incident prompted city leaders to address the need for youth initiatives in the city.

Mayor Marc Nelson and Council Chairperson Natasha Brown didn't immediately respond to the Journal for comment.

Wagstaff said the settlement of $400,000 will go to the sisters. Barnett graduated from Poughkeepsie High School after which the family moved to Georgia in 2021. Barnett is in college and her sister is a high school senior.

Johnson filed a lawsuit in federal court in 2019 alleging police intimidation, false arrest and the use of excessive force in regards to her daughter.

The suit alleges Barnett and Dawkins had their Fourth Amendment rights violated through false arrest and the use of excessive force. The suit questions why the pair were the only children arrested, and claims police called others involved with the intention of intimidating them “into providing statements that would corroborate the narratives of the arresting, despite their falsehoods.”

From left, Jamelia Barnett and Julissa Dawkins speak about their arrest Monday at Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church in the City of Poughkeepsie on March 13, 2019. Accompanying the pair is their Mother, Melissa Lynch, and Pastor Edwrin Sutton.
From left, Jamelia Barnett and Julissa Dawkins speak about their arrest Monday at Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church in the City of Poughkeepsie on March 13, 2019. Accompanying the pair is their Mother, Melissa Lynch, and Pastor Edwrin Sutton.

Both girls were charged with obstruction of governmental administration and Dawkins was charged with resisting arrest. The charges were dismissed in 2020 as long as the girls attended school regularly, obeyed school rules and no adverse interactions with law enforcement for six months.

Saba Ali: Sali1@poughkeepsiejournal.com: 845-451-4518: @MsSabaAli.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Settlement reached in Poughkeepsie police intimidation, force case