Milwaukee council approves $2M beating settlement

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s Common Council approved a $2 million settlement Tuesday for a man who was beaten by off-duty police officers and the mayor’s office indicated he would approve as well, ending a racially-charged case that has haunted the city for more than seven years.

Frank Jude Jr.’s bloody, beaten face was featured in the media for years after he was beaten by a group of off-duty police officers in October 2004. Jude, who is biracial, said he heard racial slurs from the officers, all of whom were white.

“The Frank Jude case marked a dark chapter in our city’s recent history, and cast a dark cloud over our police department,” Common Council President Willie Hines said in a statement. “I believe we still have a good amount of work ahead to improve those (police)-community connections.”

The police department disciplined 13 officers after the beating, including nine who were fired. Chief Edward Flynn took over the department in 2008.

Jude, now 33, had said a group of white men who identified themselves as off-duty police officers threw him to the ground outside a party, threatened him with a knife and a gun, cut or tore his clothes and repeatedly punched and kicked him in his head. They claimed they thought Jude had taken a police badge from the house.

Local prosecutors brought charges against three officers but they were acquitted by an all-white jury, prompting angry residents to march through downtown streets in protest.

Federal prosecutors then charged eight of the officers — most with violating the victim’s civil rights or obstructing justice — in 2006. Seven were convicted or pleaded guilty. One was acquitted.

Jude filed the civil rights lawsuit in 2006. According to the notice of claim, he had asked for $30 million in damages, but the lawsuit did not ask for an amount.

The city and Jude agreed to the settlement last month and the council unanimously approved it Tuesday. The money will be taken out of a reserve account budgeted for damages and claims.

The lawsuit named seven officers and one of their wives, but Jude’s attorney, Jon Safran, has said the settlement was with the city and it would be up to the city to seek anything from them.

Mayor Tom Barrett’s spokeswoman Jodie Tabak said the mayor will sign it by the end of the week. Safran said Jude plans to comment on the settlement after the mayor officially signs off on it.

Hines said if the settlement wasn’t approved by the council, the taxpayers likely would have had to pay much more.

“We must not forget what happened; if we do we risk allowing something like it to occur again,” he said.