Settlements in 2 police suits; others dismissed

Published 10:29 pm Saturday, May 9, 2015

MOULTRIE — With the last of seven lawsuits alleging racial discrimination settled in March, the end result was the city paying a total of $6,500 to settle two cases.

Those settlements were ordered to one current Moultrie Police Department officer and one former officer for time spent caring for police dogs while off duty.

In none of the cases filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia were allegations of racial discrimination in the department confirmed, and most were summarily dismissed.

The seven litigants, all male, six white and one Hispanic, each claimed in the separate lawsuits that they were subjected to reverse discrimination by the police department. All but one sought at least $300,000 each in general and punitive damages plus court costs.

In the last of the lawsuits to be disposed of, former officer Kevin Tucker and the city each agreed to a dismissal, with each further agreeing to cover their own attorney’s fees and other court costs. He had sought $150,000 in damages and court costs.

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Sgt. Daniel Lindsay, who is still employed with the department, agreed with the city to a $2,000 settlement for his time spend off duty caring for police dogs.

Lindsay dropped all further claims as part of the settlement.

The ruling by Senior Judge Hugh Lawson said that Moultrie attorney Jody Weathers was not seeking any compensation.

In the other case involving care of police dogs, former officer Andrew Underwood and the city reached a $4,500 settlement, with Weathers receiving $1,500 of that amount. Underwood also agreed not to pursue further claims.

Most of the legal cases were disposed of last year, including Underwood’s reverse discrimination claims, in which the court ruled in favor of the city’s request for summary judgment. In that instance, Lawson referred to that aspect of the suit as “frivolous.”

Summary judgment also was granted to the city in the cases of former officers Giovanni Rodriquez and John Vickers and current officers Rocky Hancock and Dave Underwood, who is Andrew Underwood’s uncle.