Tom GantertMilwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Bucks basketball player Sterling Brown will get a $750,000 payday from the city of Milwaukee almost three years after he was Tased and tackled by police if the city council approves the settlement agreement.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) player was arrested after an encounter with police in a Walgreen’s parking lot at about 2 a.m. on Jan. 26, 2018.
Brown’s Mercedes was parked across two handicapped parking spots, and the officer stopped him when he returned to the car and asked him about it.
When the Bucks’ guard was told to take his hands out of his pockets, he failed to immediately comply, and officers quickly took him to the ground and deployed a Taser to bring him under control.
Police faced extreme criticism about the use-of-force captured on the bodycam video of the incident.
Brown filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Milwaukee PD in June of 2018.
In the lawsuit, the NBA player’s attorneys cited Facebook posts and “racist memes” that were posted by one of the officers who arrested him, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
“Nice meeting Sterling Brown of the Milwaukee Bucks at work this morning! Lol#FearTheDeer,” Milwaukee Police Officer Erik Andrade posted on Facebook hours after the basketball player’s arrest.
The suit also cited social media posts by then-Officer Andrade that were critical of the Black Lives Matter’s police brutality narrative, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
“A little truth to those who wanna listen,” he captioned a meme that said “Yes, whenever something happens it’s always a epidemic of racism, police brutality or whatever lies these failed liberal hand-picked so-called liberal black leaders come up with.”
Brown and his attorney, Mark Thomsen, had initially rejected a $400,000 settlement offer from the city that was made in October of 2019, according to ESPN.
The $750,000 settlement was reached a year later after the city agreed to make a statement Milwaukee that acknowledged violating Brown’s rights and to make a promise to change police department policies in addition to the payout, CNN reported.
The Milwaukee City Council members are expected to approve the latest proposed agreement, allowing the settlement to move forward.
“I’ve got plenty of people going through the same thing in Chicago and back at home,” Brown said in December of 2019. “So I know it’s happening in Milwaukee, so I’m pretty much being that voice for those who don’t have the platform that I have to make this national news.”
The city of Milwaukee released a statement about the settlement that had been reached, ESPN reported.
“Because of the unpredictability of a trial, and the City’s risk for exposure to compensatory and punitive changes, as well as additional attorney fees and costs, we recommend that this matter be settled for that amount,” Milwaukee City Attorney Tearman Spencer and Assistant City Attorney Robin A. Pederson wrote in a statement together on Nov. 4. “Consistent with our recommendation, we request authorization to execute a settlement agreement on behalf of the City and its officer, and have enclosed an appropriated resolution for your consideration.”
The Milwaukee Bucks also issued a statement that forcefully condemned the police department’s handling of the incident, ESPN reported.
“No one should ever have to go through the horrifying abuse and injustice that Sterling experienced,” the NBA team’s statement read. “We commend Sterling for his courageous response to this terrible situation by repeatedly sharing his story and working tirelessly with countless local groups and organizations to help make change in our community. And we also commend the City’s leadership for its commitment to implement these important changes to better Milwaukee.”
Brown has played four seasons in the NBA and earned $5.7 million in salary during his career, ESPN reported.
Holly Matkin
