The City of East Point agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Towns’s family for $1 million – the city’s insurance policy maximum. The 2 did “materially accelerate” Towns’ death by repeatedly using their stun guns on Towns, who was “exhibiting signs of fatigue and shortness of breath”, the indictment stated.
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An post-mortem by the Fulton County medical expert’s workplace discovered Towns died from “hypertensive heart problems exacerbated by bodily exertion and carried out electrical stimulation”. Lawyers who have previously represented each man did not immediately return phone calls and emails Tuesday.
Chris Stewart, the Towns family attorney, says that Mr Towns was leaving his mother’s apartment after and pursued by officers who were responding to an alleged domestic dispute.
Eberhart resigned July 9, 2014, and Weems was fired the next day, according to a statement from the office of Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard. Towns ran into a nearby wooded area after encountering police in the parking lot, but was quickly caught and handcuffed. Paramedics who arrived moments later told Eberhart that Towns did not have a pulse. Police records show that Towns asked officers at least 10 times to be allowed to rest before going with them. After repeated jolts from the Taser, Towns finally lapsed into unconsciousness. Now the two former officers face criminal charges. The family’s lawyers said that police tried to cover up how many times Towns was Tasered.
In reports filed on the incident, both officers wrote that Towns was not complying with commands for him to keep moving and that their stun guns were used just several times in order to prompt him to comply.
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In their defense, the Police Benevolent Association had said that the officers’ actions did not lead to Towns’ death.
