The U.S. District Court of Dover, Delaware, has formally dismissed the civil lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union or ACLU against white police officer, Cpl. Thomas Webster IV. However, those involved in the cases declined to reveal the conditions or details of the settlement.
Webster was indicted in May of last year due to an assault incident that occurred in August of 2013. According to NBC Philadelphia, Webster, along with other police officers, responded to a report about a black man armed with a gun.
Upon arriving at the scene, they spotted Lateef Dickerson and arrested him. However, as seen in the footage captured by the dashboard camera of one of the patrol cars, Webster kicked Dickerson in the head as he was about to lay on the ground, causing Dickerson to suffer a broken jaw.
According to Webster, it was not his intention to kick Dickerson. Instead, he was only trying to defend himself because he had been told that he was carrying a gun, Delaware Online reported.
Due to the incident, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Webster on behalf of the assault victim. The organization noted that it filed the case due to the growing number of similar incidents involving the Dover Police Department. The ACLU alleged that some law enforcers use racial profiling and excessive force during their arrests.
But, in December, the police officer was acquitted of his assault charges while the city of Dover paid $15,000 as part of the settlement process, Delaware State News has learned. Then, on Monday, the case against Webster was formally resolved by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Andrew.
Neither members of the ACLU or Webster's legal camp explained the settlement details in the case's dismissal. It is not clear if the details are being kept secret due to a possible non-disclosure agreement or if the two parties involved in the case are still conducting negotiations.
