Article: Police Misconduct Suits Prove Costly; Pr. George's Pays Millions; Some Settlements Are Kept Secret

Prince George's County paid more than $4.6 million in jury verdicts and out-of-court settlements in civil lawsuits alleging misconduct by county police during the fiscal year that ended in June, County Executive Jack B. Johnson announced this week.

Since 2000, the county has paid more than $16.3 million in jury awards and settlements in civil lawsuits alleging excessive force or other forms of misconduct by county officers.

John E. Erzen, a spokesman for Johnson, said a significant portion of the 2005 total, $1.7 million, stems from an incident that occurred in June 2002, before Johnson (D) was county executive. It involved a county police chase that ended in a crash that killed three women.

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