ReturnOfJudah
Veteran
Man who fought with Florida cops gets $275,000 settlement
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – Nearly five years after a brutal beating, a Lakeland (where c00n ass Ray Lewis grew up) man says he feels some resolution.
The City of Lakeland paid $275,000 to Joseph Florence, after an altercation with two Lakeland Police Department officers. Florence suffered a broken nose and broken jaw after the fight. He has since undergone several surgeries and says he has permanent neurological damage.
In 2011, Florence got into a confrontation with officers Heather Benthal and Nicholas Ivancevich. The police officers responded to Florence’s home after a neighbor had complained he was mowing and watering their yard without their permission.
According to the original police report, Florence was not happy with how the neighbor maintained his yard so he would mow and water his yard without his permission. The neighbor asked police to warn Florence about trespassing.
Florence said when officers came to his door he answered all of their questions. “But after the same questions, over and over, I said I am going back inside,” said Florence. He said he turned around to go inside his home, but was yanked back by Ivancevich.
According to police, Ivancevich moved to arrest Florence, and Florence hit the officer in the face, and put him in a choke hold. Benthal used a Taser on Florence, but according to the police report, Florence continued to fight aggressively.
“He even ripped the officer’s radio microphone from his uniform, disconnecting the cord from the radio,” said Sgt. Gary Gross with Lakeland Police Department. “I never saw something like that happen.”
Florence was charged with battery to a law enforcement officer, assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and depriving an officer of communication.
Those charges were dropped by the State Attorneys Office after a review of the case.
The $275,000 payment is a settlement for the lawsuit filed in 2013 on behalf of Joseph Florence.
The officers did not face any charges.
An internal investigation after the incident found their actions did not violate department policy.
Officer Heather Benthal is now a detective. Officer Nicholas Ivancevich is now a background investigator after suffering an injury on the job.
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – Nearly five years after a brutal beating, a Lakeland (where c00n ass Ray Lewis grew up) man says he feels some resolution.
The City of Lakeland paid $275,000 to Joseph Florence, after an altercation with two Lakeland Police Department officers. Florence suffered a broken nose and broken jaw after the fight. He has since undergone several surgeries and says he has permanent neurological damage.
In 2011, Florence got into a confrontation with officers Heather Benthal and Nicholas Ivancevich. The police officers responded to Florence’s home after a neighbor had complained he was mowing and watering their yard without their permission.
According to the original police report, Florence was not happy with how the neighbor maintained his yard so he would mow and water his yard without his permission. The neighbor asked police to warn Florence about trespassing.
Florence said when officers came to his door he answered all of their questions. “But after the same questions, over and over, I said I am going back inside,” said Florence. He said he turned around to go inside his home, but was yanked back by Ivancevich.
According to police, Ivancevich moved to arrest Florence, and Florence hit the officer in the face, and put him in a choke hold. Benthal used a Taser on Florence, but according to the police report, Florence continued to fight aggressively.
“He even ripped the officer’s radio microphone from his uniform, disconnecting the cord from the radio,” said Sgt. Gary Gross with Lakeland Police Department. “I never saw something like that happen.”
Florence was charged with battery to a law enforcement officer, assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and depriving an officer of communication.
Those charges were dropped by the State Attorneys Office after a review of the case.
The $275,000 payment is a settlement for the lawsuit filed in 2013 on behalf of Joseph Florence.
The officers did not face any charges.
An internal investigation after the incident found their actions did not violate department policy.
Officer Heather Benthal is now a detective. Officer Nicholas Ivancevich is now a background investigator after suffering an injury on the job.
