NEWS BRIEF: Paralyzed panhandler awarded $100 million after police tasing incident

A panhandler who was left paralyzed by the actions of an Atlanta policeman in 2018 was awarded $100 million Friday by a jury. Jerry Blasingame, 65, suffered facial fractures, a brain injury and a broken neck following a chase in which he was tased by Officer J. Grubbs. Blasingame, who fell 30 feet from an I-20 ramp, needs constant care and reportedly has racked up more than $14 million in medical bills. According to Georgia’s NAACP, it’s the largest award given in a civil case involving law enforcement personnel.

Grubbs was found to have behaved unreasonably but returned to work six months later without facing charges, and remains employed. Attorney Ven Johnson told jurors the city failed to thoroughly investigate Grubbs' conduct. “This is how an officer gets away with excessive force,” he said in his closing argument. “You bury it.” Details: atlantadailyworld.com