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Court cuts police excessive force verdict 75%, to $50,000

Posted at 7:50 AM, Sep 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-26 07:50:07-04

A $200,000 verdict in an excessive force case against a Detroit-area police officer has been reduced to no more than $50,000.

A federal appeals court says the awarding of punitive damages was puzzling because the same jury gave just $1 to Nikos Kidis in compensatory damages for his encounter with a Warren officer.

Kidis sued Officer John Moran for what happened on a day of heavy drinking at a Labor Day festival. Kidis hit another vehicle and fled on foot. Kidis says Moran punched and choked him when he finally caught him. A jury said Kidis' rights were violated but that excessive force wasn't the proximate cause of his injuries.