Unfortunately, $4 million is nothing to the NYPD.
Thabo Sefolosha, who broke his leg in that video in New York City on April 8, 2015, and recently settled with the NYPD this week for $4 million after winning his lawsuit. The timing of the incident could not have been any worse for the Atlanta Hawks shooting guard, as he wound up missing the entirety of the playoffs with a broken leg, which was a direct result of the unlawful arrest that night.
Nathaniel Penn of GQ detailed the nights events in a concise manner, for more on the play-by-play head over to his story here.
The NYPD offered plea deals to Sefolosha, one of which was so minuscule of a punishment that one’s lawyers would wash their hands and consider their work done. The deal: one day of community service and to “stay out of trouble” for six months. Sefolosha wasn’t having that though, as the basketball player wanted to be vindicated knowing he did nothing wrong. He was going to win this case on principal, since Sefolosha was not in this for the money.
The frustrating element of this story is rooted in the strategy that the NYPD and their lawyers wanted to go with, a strategy that still does not take full responsibility through any form of apology, or one that truly hits them in the wallet, given the taxpayer dollars that simply changed hands as a result. The $4 million that Sefolosha was awarded pales in comparison to the over $200 million that NYC has paid out in wrongful arrests related incidents over the past two years.
That strategy, in short hand:
Beat up Sefolosha
Bank on plea deals
Lie
Refuse to admit guilt, sign the check with taxpayer dollars and move on
The NYPD went as far as to say that Sefolosha “charged” at them, which is such a blatant falsehood one could only think that without the two video tapes detailing how astonishingly calm Sefolosha was during the 5-on-1 arrest, he would never have been proven innocent. That’s not how the justice system is supposed to work, even when it worked in favor the Hawks player in the end.
Two years, lawyers, (no) guns and money got Sefolosha his vindication, and a well deserved one for that matter. That amount of money, for the record, is more than Sefolosha makes as part of his yearly contract ($3.85 million per year) and don’t get me wrong here, NBA players make an inconceivable amount. Comparitively, though, the Hawks guard is not the likes of Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James, there is no shoe deal or Kia commercial to pad the wallet. Additionally, Sefolosha is not of a celebrity status, this was essentially a common man innocently getting thrown to the ground and having his season ruined without any form of cause.
What Sefolosha is doing with the money is primarily the reason that this story is the one I can point to with a feel good ending. He is donating a major part of his settlement to “Gideon’s Promise”, which is a foundation that trains public defenders with a motto reading “we give a voice to the voiceless”.
Sefolosha won’t have the highest selling jersey, ever, nor will he be the most recognizable player even outside his own stadium, but it’s the message he is sending, through action, that makes this a story that should be discussed in greater detail across the board.