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03/29/2024 09:08:19 am

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Woman Punched Repeatedly By Cop To Receive $1.5 Million, Officer Resigns

Woman Punched Repeatedly By Cop To Receive $1.5 Million

(Photo : Reuters) A woman who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder will receive $1.5 million from a policeman who beat her repeatedly

A woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder will receive $1.5 million under a settlement after a video captured a highway police officer beating and punching her repeatedly on the side of a freeway in Los Angeles last July.

Officer Daniel Andrew of the California Highway Patrol has agreed to resign and give $1.5 million to Marlene Pinnock as part of the settlement the two parties entered into after a 9-hour mediation session last Wednesday.

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CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said that when the incident happened, he vowed to take swift action to resolve the issue and right now, that goal has been reached.

Farrow said that the two sides have worked constructively to reach a settlement agreement that is satisfactory to both parties involved.

CHP Officer Daniel Andrew has been on paid leave since the incident occurred. He later resigned.

The CHP said it forwarded the results of its investigation of the incident to the Los Angeles county prosecutors last month and based on the results, he could face serious charges. No one has filed a case yet against Andrew.

Legal observers said Andrew can still be held criminally liable for what he did to Pinnock. According to legal documents, the beating happened after motorists called 911 to report a woman walking barefoot along the freeway and Andrew pulled her from traffic.

Reports said that when Andrew pulled Pinnock from oncoming traffic, she resisted and fought back, kicking her legs and grabbing at his uniform. The video showed that Andrew straddled Pinnock and punched her in the stomach and beat her head repeatedly with a closed fist

Reports said Pinnock showed no signs of injury and refused to undergo a check-up. She was confined at a psychiatric ward for two weeks.

The bulk of the settlement will form part of the Special Needs Trust for Pinnock, the CHP said.

Caree Harper, lawyer for Pinnock, said they are satisfied with the outcome of the settlement. They said the settlement fulfilled the two elements they were looking for.

Harper further stated that one of the matters tackled in the mediation session was to provide for Pinnock's care and accommodation for her unique situation in life. The other request was that Andrew resign from his post.

At the time of the incident, Pinnock was suffering from bipolar disorder and had reportedly been off her meds for three months. 

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