In 2019, Denver Police Officer Jamie Taft hit a pedestrian, Eric Szakmary, who ended up in the hospital with fractured vertebrae and other serious injuries, according to court documents and reporting at the time.
A dashcam video released at the time showed Taft typing into a cell phone before hitting the Szakmary while making a left turn.
DPD suspended Taft for 33 days after the incident. Now, the city is settling with Szakmary and his wife Kimberly Szakmary for $557,000. City Council approved the payments Monday.
According to court documents, Szakmary had multiple surgeries and continues to suffer from his injuries. Taft pled guilty to careless driving, according to a disciplinary action report from the Denver Department of Public Safety.
DPD declined to comment but said that Taft resigned in 2022.
The latest settlement comes just one week after City Council approved more than $1.5 million to protesters suing over injuries from police weapons during the 2020 George Floyd protests. The city has paid more than $11 million in settlements involving Denver Police so far this year, with many, but not all, of those cases dating back to the protests.
Denverite has reached out to the Szakmarys' lawyers for comment. We'll update when we hear back.
