The New York Police Department is set to shell out more money in court settlements than the city has seen in recent history, according to a crunch of city data by The Legal Aid Society. This year, New York cops have already paid more than $67 million in payouts—surpassing the whole of 2020 with four months still to go. One of the reasons police have paid big bucks to New Yorkers: a teen who was tackled by police, leaving him paralyzed. That suit settled for $12 million—and one of the officers involved had already paid out $50,000 to another New Yorker five years ago after he allegedly assaulted a parent at a little league game. “Everything we know about police misconduct points to this conclusion that culture is what drives this problem and that a small number of officers who commit repeated misconduct create a culture that spreads misconduct,” Legal Aid Society lawyer Corey Stoughton told Gothamist.
Update: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the separate payout involving the officer in question in the teen’s lawsuit.
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