Personal Injury Law

Injury Suit Against Trolley Square Hero Settled

By Michael

A personal injury lawsuit filed against a police officer, who was considered a hero after holding off a shooting rampage in Salt Lake City, was quietly settled recently.

Natasha Child sued Ogden police officer Ken Hammond on claims that he used excessive force against both her and her husband during a May 2008 arrest.

The personal injury suit was settled without either party confirming any the terms of the settlement. U.S. District judge Tena Campbell dismissed the suit with an agreement on both sides to terms, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The injury lawsuit came after Hammond’s role  in a Feb. 12, 2007 shootout at Trolley Square which left many people claiming him a hero.

Sulejman Talovic, 18, opened fire at the Salt Lake City-area shopping mall, killing five bystanders and wounding four others. Hammond was off duty at the mall when the shooting took place, and held Talovic off in a shoot out until other officers arrived and gunned Talovic down, according to the Utah-based Fox 13 network.

Child?s suit claimed that she suffered police brutality on May 18, 2008, as her husband was being arrested by Utah State Highway Patrol officers in the Ogden area on suspicion  of drunk driving.

Hammond was assisting patrol officers with the arrest. Child claimed Hammond kicked out her husband?s legs from under him and elbowed him, even though her husband was cooperating.

When Child told Hammond she was witness to his actions, Hammond allegedly order her to be arrested as well. The suit further claimed that while Child was handcuffed, Hammond lifted her hands over her head and her pants started falling while she struggled.

Hammond pulled her pants the rest of the way down to the ground, according to the Tribune. The suit claims Hammond then said, ?Now you don?t have to worry about them.? Child also claimed Hammond slammed her to the ground during the arrest.

Child was later charged with interfering with an arrest, public intoxication, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct, although the charges were later dropped, the Tribune reported.

The suit also implicated the Ogden Police Department for failing to properly train Hammond, even though both Hammond and the police department denied all charges against them from the injury suit.

Child?s suit was not the last legal entanglement for Hammond. Hammond resigned from the Ogden Police Department in January 2009 during an investigation into charges that he had sex with a teenager.

Hammond later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in relation to the charge and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Full post as published by The Injury Blog on February 24, 2010 (boomark / email).