Lawrence Crosby, an engineering graduate student who was violently arrested and beaten by police and falsely accused of stealing a car he actually owns, recently won a $1.25 million settlement from his lawsuit against the Evanston (Illinois) Police Department, reports BlackNews.com.
On Oct. 2015, Crosby, who was then 25-years old and pursuing his Ph.D. studies at Northwestern University, was pulled over by police. When he exited his car with his hands up, police took him to the ground and allegedly struck him 11 times. After brutally beating Crosby, police officers discovered that the car in question was actually owned by Crosby. Apparently, someone mistakenly thought Crosby was breaking into the car and called 911.
Most recently, now-28-year old Crosby has spoken out for the first time since the incident about its lasting effects. “It’s not easy for me to have to be put back into that situation and have to relive it again. At that moment in time, I did not know if I would make it to the end of the night,” Crosby told Fox 13 News. “I’ve had to deal with post-traumatic stress and having fear of the police, honestly.” Crosby was charged with resisting arrest. Following the incident, Evanston Police Department reportedly even posted a video defending the officer’s conduct, which has since been deleted.
After being found not guilty, Crosby filed a civil suit against the city and officers. “The settlement was for $1.25 million, and I consider that a fair and just compensation for the experience that I went through,” Crosby said. Despite the settlement, no officers were disciplined or offered an apology to Crosby. He just now hopes to work with law enforcement, academics and other organizations to discuss the impact of implicit bias and stereotypes and how to end it. “We’re not looking for apologies (now). We’re looking for change,” Crosby’s lawyer, Steven Yonover, said. Meanwhile, there has been no admission of liability in the settlement, according to an attorney for the City of Evanston. It is pending approval by the city council.
