Man wins $4 million in lawsuit against Chicago cops

A federal court jury found the police liable Tuesday for the unreasonable search of a grocery store employee who claimed that a Chicago police officer assaulted him with a screwdriver during a drug arrest three years ago, clearing the way for a $4 million settlement with the city.

"Justice was served," Coprez Coffie, 23, who brought the lawsuit against the police and the city, told reporters after the jury returned its verdict. "Now you see what's going on. It was brought to light."

The weeklong trial in the civil lawsuit before U.S. District Chief Judge James F. Holderman attracted additional attention because the police currently face controversies ranging from excessive force complaints to the alleged shakedown of civilians by an elite special operations unit that disbanded under pressure.

Jurors deliberated for three days before returning their verdict that one police officer had inserted the screwdriver between Coffie's buttocks while the other officer did nothing to stop him.

The incident allegedly took place in a West Side alley in August 2004.

Lawyers had agreed over the weekend that if the jury found for Coffie the damages would be $4 million plus court costs and attorney fees.

As the jurors got into the elevator outside the courtroom, Coffie called to them and said: "God bless you." One of the jurors called back: "God bless you" and another shouted: "Good luck."

The jurors refused to talk with reporters.

The city will evaluate its appeal options, the city's law department said in a statement Tuesday evening.

"We are disappointed with the verdict especially since it comes after three days of deliberations," the statement said.

The city's Office of Professional Standards, which researched claims of officer misconduct and found the allegations could not be sustained, said it would reopen its investigation to look at new information that developed in the civil trial.

"If appropriate, OPS can recommend a new outcome, and will," the office said in a statement.

City attorneys claimed the screwdriver incident never took place and noted that Coffie had pleaded guilty on the drug charge. He received probation.

"This case is not about the drugs," said Coffie's lead attorney, Jonathan Loevy.

Loevy said the evidence presented at the weeklong civil trial was strong enough that "there was no way to conclude anything but that the screwdriver was put into Mr. Coffie."

Loevy cited not only Coffie's testimony but that of two witnesses plus medical evidence that Coffie suffered an internal cut as a result of the screwdriver and the fact that a screwdriver was later found in the glove compartment of the squad car.

Coffie testified that he initially didn't want to report the alleged attack because he was embarrassed but told his mother who insisted that he report it. He told reporters that he no longer feels any physical pain as a result of the incident but that it bothers him when he thinks about it.

The latest major controversies involving the police department have focused on the special operations unit. The department announced last week that it would disband amid allegations that it was out of control.

Seven members of the unit face state charges that they engaged in shaking down civilians and intimidated them physically.

One of the seven, Jerome Finnigan, also faces federal charges that he plotted the murder of one of his fellow officers to keep him from cooperating with prosecutors in the ongoing investigation of the unit.

Three other officers have pleaded not guilty to charges they beat four businessmen in a bar while off duty. Another officer has pleaded not guilty to charges that he beat a 115-pound female bartender because she would not serve him a drink.