69-year-old Jerry Blasingame, who was tased by a police officer in Atlanta and left paralyzed from the neck down, has been awarded $100 million by a federal jury, the New York Post reports.
The incident occurred on July 10, 2018. The then-65-year-old Blasingame was accosted by Officer Jon Grubbs while he was asking drivers for money in downtown Atlanta. The two engaged in a foot chase and as Blasingame ran away, Grubbs shocked him with a stun gun, causing the elderly man to fall and break his neck. Blasingame was admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital’s trauma center, where it was determined that he had suffered a severe spinal cord injury and lost the use of all four limbs. His injury ensured that he would need round-the-clock care and live in a residential care facility for the rest of his life, the Independent reports.
A civil lawsuit against the City of Atlanta and Grubbs was filed in the U.S. District Court in 2019 by Blasingame’s conservator, Keith Edwards, for the cost of the 69-year-old’s past and future medical bills, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Blasingame’s attorneys say that Grubbs violated police department policy, arguing that the force used against Blasingame was excessive because he wasn’t a threat to Grubbs or surrounding civilians.
Ven Johnson, one of Blasingame’s attorneys, said that the incident has not only caused the 69-year-old unimaginable anguish — he said he feels like a “prisoner in his own body” — but also financial burden, the Journal-Constitution reports. Johnson said his client has racked up more than $14 million in medical bills, and his future care is estimated to cost $1 million per year.
“Jerry Blasingame matters,” he said, according to the outlet. “Jerry Blasingame, and his suffering.”
Staci J. Miller, who represented the City of Atlanta and Grubbs, said that while the injuries were tragic, the police department and the city are not to blame.
However, an eight-person jury agreed with Blasingame and his attorneys. They awarded Blasingame both compensatory and punitive damages, finding that Grubbs should be liable for $40 million and the City of Atlanta for $60 million.
“We are very, very grateful to this amazing jury and so proud of the amazing work they’ve done in holding this officer accountable and getting justice for Mr. Blasingame,” Johnson said.
The Georgia branch of the NAACP said it was the largest verdict they’ve heard of, especially in a case where the victim is still living, 11Alive reports. They believe that this ruling could be monumental in holding law enforcement agencies accountable in cases of excessive force or police brutality.
“Given that there was no call for service on this situation, they could have handled it differently,” Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs, who’s also a lawyer, said, according to 11Alive. “It sends a strong message from the citizens that live in the northern district of Georgia, a part of which is in Fulton County in Atlanta, that they’re sick of this and they want change.”
According to The Washington Post, the city has filed a motion asking for a directed verdict, which could affect the verdict. The judge has yet to rule on the motion.
