Seattle pays $160,000 to settle lawsuit in civil rights case

SEATTLE (AP) — The city of Seattle has paid nearly $160,000 to settle a federal civil-rights lawsuit.

The case involved a veteran police officer with a history of discipline for unprofessional and questionable behavior who tackled a belligerent man who was handcuffed in a holding cell in 2015.

The Seattle Times reports the settlement was finalized Feb. 28.

The judge entered judgment against the city in a lawsuit filed by Alonzo Price-Holt against Officer Zsolt Dornay and the police department. The settlement, offered by the city, paid Price-Holt $100,001.

His attorneys received $58,989.

Dornay was given 30 days off without pay for the use of unnecessary force, the most serious penalty the department can render short of dismissal.

It was Dornay’s third 30-day suspension in a 25-year career with Seattle police.

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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com