Cop who said lieutenant attacked him with chopsticks wins $120K from Palisades Park
PALISADES PARK — A police officer received a $120,000 settlement after he claimed he was bullied by a superior officer who had attacked him with chopsticks and choked him with a necktie.
Officer Samuel Kim, who is now employed by the Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department, alleged that Lt. Shawn Lee had harassed and bullied him from the time Kim was hired in Palisades Park.
In his lawsuit, filed in July with the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, Kim alleged that Lee had him run personal errands for him while on duty, including buying him coffee and driving his daughter to school every morning.
The alleged bullying peaked in 2018 after Kim refused a request from Lee to help remove a ticket issued to a New York City police officer, the suit said.
After that incident, Kim said, the harassment and bullying became increasingly worse, culminating in 2019 when the two were in the locker room and Lee said an "exceedingly offensive and derogatory term" in Korean.
After that incident, Lee ordered Kim to meet him at his parents' house. While there, Kim said, Lee physically assaulted him, first by repeatedly hitting him over the head with chopsticks, then by wrapping Kim's uniform tie around his neck to choke him, according to the lawsuit.
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Kim reported the alleged assault to a councilman the next day and said he was scared for his life.
Afterward, Lee served a five-day unpaid suspension in 2020 and was ordered to attend anger management classes, attend harassment training and a undergo psychological evaluation for fitness of duty.
The details of the internal affairs investigation were not publicly discussed at the time.
Lee was later promoted to captain and has served as the Police Department's officer-in-charge since May 2021.
"Officer Kim has moved on to a position with the Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department, where his talents have been well received and profoundly appreciated," said Kim's attorney, Patrick Toscano. "The Palisades Park Police Department lost a gifted, first-rate officer."
Toscano said Kim is "gratified" by the settlement.
"The case was never about money," Toscano said. "It was simply about an autarch supervisor at the PPPD who needed to be taken to task and was."
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The borough settled the claims for $120,000 this month. The settlement states that Kim will not seek any further action or payment from Lee and the borough. The borough does not admit to any wrongdoing and said the settlement is to amicably resolve all matters.
Borough officials did not respond to a message for comment.
Police settlements
Last year, the borough settled two additional police lawsuits that both called for six-figure payouts.
Ex-Police Chief Ben Ramos is slated to receive $850,000 and have all disciplinary charges against him dismissed under a settlement agreement with the borough. The borough is responsible for $200,000 of the award, with the remainder being paid by the Joint Insurance Fund.
A sergeant who was acquitted of forgery and theft will receive a $675,000 settlement for attorney fees, pain and suffering.
A jury acquitted Sgt. Marc Messing of all charges in 2019 connected to a $1,000 check he deposited into his personal account in 2014 that was meant for the borough treasury.
Kristie Cattafi is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: cattafi@northjersey.com
Twitter: @KristieCattafi
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Palisades Park police officer wins bullying settlement
