Settlement offered in case of Tased man

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The City of East Grand Rapids, the head of the Department of Public Safety, and two officers offered a settlement to the family of a man who died after being Tased multiple times in 2009.  

According to court documents, the defendants -- the City of East Grand Rapids, Sgt. Brian Davis, Officer Gary Parker, and Director of East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety Mark Herald -- offered to pay the family of Matthew Bolick $100,001 in interest, costs and attorney fees to settle a lawsuit the family filed in mid-October.

The offer was filed on Tuesday.

"We're happy that East Grand Rapids has acknowledged their responsibility in this matter and recognize the need to compensate the family. Unfortunately, the loss of a 30-year-old son with his whole life ahead of him…is worth more than that," the Bolick family's attorney Bill Mills said on Tuesday.

Despite Mills's statement, there is no official word on whether the family will choose to accept the offer.

The suit filed by the family alleges that the two officers involved in the incident -- Davis and Parker -- were grossly negligent, used excessive force and that they weren't properly trained on how to use their Tasers. The suit also alleged that the officer activated their Tasers more than 20 times that night.

"The use of Tasers in this case was excessive," Bill Mills, the family's attorney, told 24 Hour News 8 in October, "which we think escalated the situation with Matt."

The night Bolick died, his father called 911 asking for help. The suit said Bolick's father told dispatchers his son had "completely freaked out."

Police told 24 Hour News 8 in 2009 that Bolick had punched one of the officers in the face and ran before he was Tased.

At a press conference after the incident, Director of Public Safety Mark Herald told the press, "I'm very comfortable with what I believe, that you know, the officers were objectively reasonable in what they did."

The Kent County Prosecutor decided not to criminally charge either officer in connection with the incident.

The county medical examiner ruled that Bolick, 30, died of acute exhaustive mania, also called excited delirium syndrome. The medical examiner said the Tasing did not cause Bolick's death.