Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha has reached a settlement in his federal police brutality lawsuit against the NYPD and will reportedly receive a $4 million payout.
Thabo suffered a broken fibula along with ligament damage to his knee and ankle during a dispute with officers two years ago and was originally seeking $50 million in the lawsuit.
The New York City Law Department released the following statement regarding the settlement, per USA Today,
"This settlement is not a concession that Mr. Sefolosha was blameless in this matter and there was no admission of liability by the defendants, but in light of the gravity of his injuries, the potential impact on his career as a professional athlete and the challenge for a jury in sorting out the facts in this incident, the resolution of the case was in the best interests of the city," the NYCLD said.
In April of 2015, Sefolosha was initially charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct for his role in an altercation with police outside of 1Oak nightclub in Manhattan, following a stabbing which also involved fellow NBA player, Chris Copeland.
He rejected a plea deal, was acquitted of all charges in October of 2015, and then filed the lawsuit which ultimately netted him $4 million.
