HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A south-central Pennsylvania municipality is agreeing to pay $500,000 to settle two federal civil rights lawsuits that claimed its police officers beat two suspects in separate incidents then made false reports to cover up the assaults.
Lawyer Devon M. Jacob said Thursday that Springettsbury Township will pay $250,000 each to the plaintiffs, Steven Landis and Debra Lynn Williams. Township Manager John Holman acknowledged the payments.
Both cases involved Springettsbury Township Patrolman Chad Moyer, who was shown in partial videos apparently punching a handcuffed Williams and kneeing Landis, leaving him with five broken ribs.
Jacob says his clients insisted on other elements of the settlement requiring that the township seek an outside review of its use-of-force policy, preserve evidence after a use-of-force incident and report use-of-force incidents to county prosecutors.
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