Record setting settlement in Taser death case
The City of Fort Worth has offered the family of a man killed by police a record-setting settlement of $2 million. The victim was killed by a Taser during a confrontation with police last year.
Assistant City Attorney Gerald Pruitt says that this is the largest settlement Fort Worth has ever offered in any case involving death or injury.
The victim, Michael Patrick Jacobs, Jr., died after he was shocked with a Taser for a total of 54 seconds. Mr. Jacobs had a history of mental illness, and the police became involved after his family called for help because he was off of his medication and behaving aggressively. Mr. Jacobs was shocked twice, first for 49 seconds and then for an additional 5 seconds. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office declared that the victim's death was a homicide, but a grand jury declined to indict the officers who were involved in the killing.
