After menacing cops with an 18-inch machete, Ruhim Ullah received a $5,000 settlement after he sued the department for $3 million. According to NYPost.com, the Brooklyn man was shot by officers while waving the blade at them, a shooting even his attorney said was probably justified.
Despite pleading guilty for his crime in the 2010 confrontation, Ullah still filed the lawsuit because court papers stated Ullah dropped the blade before he was shot. Even though the settlement sends a bad message, with one law enforcement source saying “It’s sickening”.
“This is one of the many frivolous lawsuits that the city prefers to settle because it’s cheaper than defending it in court,” said Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association spokesman Al O’Leary.
“It’s bad for our officers, who often don’t even know that there is a lawsuit.”
