On January 6, 2017, it was announced that the City of Philadelphia will pay $4.4 million to an innocent man who was permanently injured after plainclothes police officers fired 14 rounds into his vehicle, striking him multiple times, in what the police commissioner called a, “tragic misunderstanding.” It is the largest settlement ever, in a non-fatal police shooting, but there was another, more meaningful component to the settlement. The Philadelphia Police Department will be required to make specific changes to its rules and training for plainclothes officers that will, hopefully, prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The Shooting
Phillippe Holland was a college student, holding down two jobs, when his life was changed forever. On April 24, 2014, he had just finished a delivery for the pizza shop when he was approached by two men, one with a flashlight and the other carrying a gun. He thought we was about to be robbed, so he made a dash for the safety of his vehicle, climbing in through the passenger-side door, and tried to drive away.
The men fired into his car 14 times. Holland was struck in the head and leg by multiple bullets. He survived, but even after multiple surgeries some of the bullet fragments could not be removed from his brain and he now has a permanent seizure disorder.
The Philadelphia Police Department
The Philadelphia Police Department has a long history of police misconduct and has faced and settled or lost a disproportionate number of lawsuits, including claims for excessive force and shootings, when compared with other major cities.
Rather than being just another payout, the January 6 settlement agreement has the potential to create real change for citizens in Philadelphia. It requires the Philadelphia Police Department to make changes to the rules and training for plainclothes officers. it is to update the rules on how they dress, how they display their badges, and how they interact with the public, with the aim of making it clear that they are police officers. There will also be a new training video that new plainclothes officers will be required to watch before going on assignment.
If it works, it will reduce the likelihood of future shootings of innocent citizens who “fail to comply” because they have no idea that they are dealing with police officers instead of criminals trying to harm them.
Visit this page for more information about the case and the settlement: www.klinespecter.com/blog/a-police-shooting-an-innocent-victim-a-peaceful-resolution.html. This link also includes links to the federal and state civil rights complaints that were filed in this case.
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