HONOLULU (AP) — A $30,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit alleging a Honolulu police officer used excessive force in arresting a man reported to be harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
HONOLULU (AP) — A $30,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit alleging a Honolulu police officer used excessive force in arresting a man reported to be harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Jamie Kalani Rice’s lawsuit says he stood motionless as an officer used a baton to hit him in the arms, torso and legs in 2014. He was arrested after National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration volunteers called police to report he was harassing the seal at an Oahu beach.
Rice’s attorney Richard Gronna calls the settlement made public in court Thursday adequate. It requires City Council approval.
Video by the NOAA volunteers shows Rice kneeling next to the seal before walking away as the officer follows. The officer hit Rice with the baton several times until Rice fell to the ground.