New York City says it has agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle a lawsuit stemming from the December 2012 beating death of a Rikers Island inmate, according to Reuters.
The Law Department's chief of special federal litigation said Monday that Ronald Spear's case was tragic. Muriel Goode-Trufant says it's hoped that the resolution "brings some small measure of closure for the family," Reuters reported.
Attorneys for Spear say the 52-year-old inmate was kicked in the face and head by multiple correction officers, according to Reuters. The medical examiner ruled it a homicide, but Bronx prosecutors determined there wasn't enough evidence for criminal charges.
Spear had alleged he had trouble receiving treatment for kidney disease, Reuters reported. He had claimed jail guards retaliated against him for contacting lawyers about his medical care.
The settlement was first reported by The New York Times and followed a string of problems at Rikers, according to Reuters. A broad investigation into violence and other criminal conduct has led to the arrest of more than a dozen officers in recent months.
His family's separate lawsuit claimed three officers held him down and kicked him multiple times in the head while inmates looked on, Reuters reported.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, citing "blunt force trauma to the head" as a contributing factor, according to the lawsuit, according to Reuters. The proposed settlement was expected to be filed on Monday in federal court in Manhattan, where it will require a judge's approval, but the city will not admit liability as part of the agreement.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Joseph Ponte as corrections commissioner in response to the problems at city jails, Reuters reported. Ponte has instituted new security policies designed to prevent violence and ordered a review of training and safety protocols.
