Wisconsin Man Awarded $1.1 Million in Police Excessive Force Settlement

A 20-year-old Madison man should be awarded $1.1 million in a settlement agreement after surveillance video showed police repeatedly punching him in the head during a mental health crisis at a foster home in 2019, his attorneys said last week.

A federal civil rights suit says David Clash-Miller was 17 when Madison police were called to transport him to a mental health facility for treatment, as part of an agreement made by his foster parent and school resource officer.

A home security camera captured officers slamming him against a door and into a couch before putting a spit hood over his head and punching him, according to the suit.

“Hopefully, it will make the police accountable and thank goodness we had a video in the home,” said Bob Gingras, an attorney for Clash-Miller. Gingras said the settlement agreement was signed last Thursday.

None of the officers were criminally charged or disciplined in the case, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Madison City Attorney Michael Haas said the settlement does not include any admission of wrongdoing. An outside review found officers had acted legally but missed opportunities that could have defused the situation.