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IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — A massive $7 million settlement has been reached between the City of Idaho Springs and Michael Clark, who was hurt when a police officer unlawfully used a Taser on him.

Clark’s attorney, Sarah Schielke, announced the terms of the settlement in a Wednesday morning news release. She said that this is a record-breaking settlement amount for a civil rights case in Colorado not involving wrongful death.

“I hope we never see someone standing in front of you guys like this, talking about settlements for someone hurt by the people meant to keep them safe,” Clark’s son Jeremy said at a news conference Wednesday morning. (Watch the full news conference on FOX31 NOW.)

The settlement stems from a lawsuit Clark filed last year after body camera video showed Officer Nicholas Hanning using his stun gun on the man, without warning, after the 75-year-old opened his door. Clark lost his balance, fell and hit his head on a dining room chair after the officer used the weapon.

Hanning and his partner, Officer Ellie Summers, were called to Clark’s apartment complex on May 30, 2021, after a neighbor reported that he had punched her. The neighbor, who appears to be drunk in the body camera video, told the officers Clark punched her because she was too loud and he was trying to sleep.

What happened after the assault?

Following the incident, Clark suffered additional medical downfalls as a result of the Taser and injuries from it, Schielke said.

“Mr. Clark suffered a stroke, subdural hemorrhage, permanent cognitive impairments, and the loss of nearly all independence as a result of Idaho Springs Police’s gruesome attack and mistreatment. He will never again be able to drive a car, cook himself a meal, or even take a walk down the street with his grandchildren. He is wheelchair bound and now forever dependent on his family and doctors to survive,” Schielke said.

Hanning was originally charged with felony assault of an at-risk adult in July 2021.

Despite the objections of Clark and his family, Hanning accepted a plea deal of misdemeanor assault in January. He was sentenced to two years of supervised probation, plus 120 days of electronic home monitoring and 150 hours of public service.

Hanning was fired by the Idaho Springs Police Department in July 2021 and agreed to give up his peace officer training certification in October 2021, which means he can never serve as an officer in the state of Colorado again.

Summers resigned after receiving a reprimand in the use-of-force incident against Clark, but it wasn’t her first complaint. She has been featured in two other Problem Solvers stories for pointing her gun at a woman’s dog and stopping a deaf man for running a stop sign and using a Taser on him.

Clark’s daughter on justice from the settlement

Cynthia Flageolle, Clark’s daughter, reiterated the fact that her father was independent and mobile before this incident and emphasized how much his life has changed since.

“He deserves every penny of it and more. But it doesn’t bring him back to who he was and how he used to live,” she said. “Our father went from doing everything he loved when he wanted and on his own to having to have someone with him to care and assist him, 24 hours a day.”

Flageolle also said lies from an intoxicated person and “untrained and dangerous officers not doing their job” changed her father’s life forever.

City of Idaho Springs issues statement

The city issued a statement in a press release regarding the settlement, which says, in part:

The settlement amount of seven million dollars ($7,000,000) fully satisfies all claims against the City and will be paid by the City’s insurance carrier. All claims against the individual members of ISPD were dismissed. The agreement does not represent an admission of liability from the City for the wide range of claims asserted. Rather, the agreement represents a settlement of disputed claims entered into by the City for economic reasons and to bring closure to all involved. The City hopes that the settlement can bring some peace of mind to Mr. Clark and his family, and that the monies paid toward settlement will be available to cover any and all medical needs Mr. Clark may have moving forward.

The City and ISPD Chief Nate Buseck acknowledge the poor judgment that led to the use of a conducted energy weapon on Mr. Clark. As Chief Buseck stated in the Press Release issued by the ISPD on July 16, 2021: ‘The actions of former Officer Hanning are not reflective of the culture of our organization. ISPD is an agency that takes great pride in how we interact with our citizens and this incident was not acceptable.’

“We hope that settlement of this matter can provide closure to the many people involved. City leadership remains committed to the constant self-evaluation and betterment of the ISPD in all ways. We remain proud of the men and women who continue to serve this community,” Mayor Chuck Harmon said.