Seattle settles ‘Mexican piss’ lawsuit for $150K
Jun 27, 2012, 9:19 AM | Updated: 11:03 am
A Latino man caught on video being stomped on and verbally abused by a Seattle police officer two years ago has won a $150,000 settlement in a civil-rights lawsuit. Pictured is attorney Lorena Gonzales. (video screen grab)
(video screen grab)
A Latino man caught on video being stomped on and verbally
abused by a Seattle police officer two years ago has won a
$150,000 settlement in a civil-rights lawsuit.
Seattle police officers were investigating a robbery
outside the China Harbor restaurant in 2010 while Martin
Monetti was down on the ground.
Officer Shandy Cobane
told him, “I’m going to beat the (expletive) Mexican piss
out
of you, homey. You feel me?” A freelance videographer also
caught footage of Cobane
stomping on Monetti.
Monetti’s attorney told reporters Thursday
she
expects there will be a term denying liability, but Lorena
Gonzales said you don’t cut a check that large unless you
know
you did something wrong.
Gonzales’ client did not appear at the announcement.
“He says, ‘I’m happy that this case is now over and that
the
Seattle Police Department has recognized the harms that
they
caused me two years ago. I was hurt that the SPD officers
treated me badly two years ago and I was hurt that the SPD
continued to defend what Office Cobane did and said
throughout my case,'” said Gonzales.
Officer Cobane was suspended for 30 days for the
remark and was also demoted from gang detective to
officer.
He issued a tearful apology and agreed to undergo
sensitivity training.
The incident helped prompt the U.S. Justice Department to
launch an investigation of the Seattle Police Department.
