By Police1 Staff
NEW YORK — A man who was shot by New York police after threatening them with a machete has received a $5K settlement from the city.
The New York Post reports 24-year-old Ruhim Ullah was shot in the leg after waving an 18-inch machete at police in the 2010 confrontation. Ullah pled guilty to menacing a police officer, but later filed a $3M lawsuit which accused the officers of wrongdoing in the incident.
The settlement inspired strong words from NYPD Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, who said Thursday he was “outraged” by the settlement reached in order to “make him [Ullah] go away,” according to Capital New York.
Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association spokesman Al O’Leary also condemned the payout, telling the New York Post, “This is one of the many frivolous lawsuits that the city prefers to settle because it’s cheaper than defending it in court. It’s bad for our officers, who often don’t even know that there is a lawsuit.”
Mayor Bill DeBlasio promised a change in policy was coming in the wake of the payout. The Observer reported that DeBlasio has met with Bratton and other officials about “changing the approach” to “end the madness.”