Indiana man gets $47K in excessive force lawsuit

CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) - A man who alleged that a northwest Indiana police officer attacked him during a traffic stop because he was having an affair with the officer's wife has reached a settlement with the city.

Gary city officials recently agreed to pay Shawn Wade of Gary $47,500 to settle his federal lawsuit, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported . Wade filed a complaint in April that alleged that officer Gerald Richardson violated his rights and used excessive force during the August 2016 traffic stop.

The city and Richardson didn't admit liability in the agreement, but chose to do the settlement to avoid the time and expense of litigation, according to settlement documents the newspaper acquired through a public records request.

Wade alleged that he was riding in a vehicle with Richardson's wife when the officer pursued them in his squad car without notifying dispatch. The complaint said Richardson handcuffed Wade at gunpoint after pulling the vehicle over, hit Wade multiple times and wrapped a police radio cord around his neck before another officer arrived at the scene.

Wade also alleged that Richardson shot a gun at his home two months after the pursuit. Richardson denied the shooting, but a ballistic test connected his firearm to the event, the lawsuit said.

Richardson was placed on administrative leave and eventually fired after the incident.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com