Baltimore Settles $400K Claim from Teen Injured by Police Vehicle

Baltimore City has approved a $400,000 settlement for Devante Jett, a teenager who was injured when a police officer ran him over during an incident in June 2021. At the time, Jett was 16 years old and was identified as a suspect in an armed carjacking near Druid Hill Park.

Jett's lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that a police sergeant intentionally accelerated towards him, striking him with the passenger-side wheels of a marked Ford Explorer. The impact resulted in serious injuries, including pelvic damage, a collapsed lung, and memory loss.

Footage obtained by WJZ Investigates from Foxtrot video shows police pursuing a Honda Pilot that had been reportedly stolen. After the driver abandoned the vehicle, police chased him through an alley, during which the sergeant ran over Jett and appeared to drag him across a vacant lot.

In his lawsuit, Jett claimed that he was roughly handcuffed while unconscious following the incident. He also argued that the Baltimore Police Department had failed to adequately train officers against using vehicles as weapons against fleeing suspects who do not pose a threat.

The sergeant involved in the incident stated that he did not intend to hit Jett and claimed the teenager stepped into the vehicle's path. He reportedly became aware of the collision only after being informed by Foxtrot.

The lawsuit also referenced other instances of alleged excessive force involving police vehicles, including a recent case where an officer was charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to run over a man. It drew parallels to the case of Freddie Gray, whose death while in police custody ignited widespread protests and calls for reform.

During the settlement discussion, Deputy Baltimore City Solicitor Stephen Salisbury remarked on the serious nature of armed carjacking but acknowledged the complexities of determining appropriateness in specific cases. City Council President Zeke Cohen expressed concerns about preventing similar incidents in the future and the balance between officer training and compliance with the consent decree.

Comptroller Bill Henry highlighted the need for prioritizing cases where officers are accused of using vehicles to harm civilians, emphasizing that such complaints should be addressed urgently.

Salisbury noted that delays in resolving police misconduct cases are partly due to a 2021 law requiring full trial boards for disputed complaints, resulting in a backlog of over 800 cases. He stated that the city is actively working to reduce this backlog.

Jett's attorney, Cary Hansel, criticized the police's history of using vehicles as weapons and deemed the incident excessive and unconstitutional. He suggested that settling the case was a prudent decision for the city.

Reported by HarborBeat based on CBS News (source).