DENVER—Denver paid $1.34 million last year to settle lawsuits that alleged police used excessive force, but City Attorney Doug Friednash notes the city has not admitted liability in any of those cases.
Friednash tells The Denver Post () it is often cheaper to settle the cases than take them to court.
One case in 2011 accounted for most of the total settlement amount for the year. The city paid $795,000 to Alexander Landau, who suffered brain injuries and trauma during a 2009 traffic stop for an illegal left turn.
In 2010, Denver settled seven cases alleging police brutality for a total of $125,000. It settled seven cases in 2009 for $303,700. In 2008, settlement amounts totaled slightly more than $1 million.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
