A former NFL player who was choked by a Georgia police officer during a Dec. 2017 arrest has reached a financial settlement with the county.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, back in 2017, an officer choked Desmond Marrow while he was handcuffed following an alleged road rage incident. After an internal investigation, which was closed within five days of Marrow’s arrest, Officer David Rose was cleared of nay wrongdoing. However, the Henry County Police Department reversed its decision and fired Rose after cellphone footage of the violent arrest surfaced in April 2018. In the video of his arrest, Marrow screamed, “I’m not even fighting back” and “I can’t breathe” numerous times.
The ex-NFL player filed a civil suit shortly after Rose was terminated.
In 2019, Rose faced criminal charges for his actions. He pleaded guilty to simple battery in Sept. 2020 after a long legal stalemate between prosecutors and his attorneys. Due to his conviction, he will no longer be able to work as a police officer.
On Wednesday (Jan. 12), Marrow’s attorneys Chris Stewart, Andrea Boyd and Dianna Lee said the civil suit finally came to a culmination with an unknown settlement that “marks a record amount for a non-death, officer-involved use of force case in Henry County.”
“We are pleased that Henry County has decided to resolve the case brought by Desmond Marrow and for a record amount for a non-death case. Most significantly, the officer who choked Mr. Marrow pleaded guilty to battery, surrendered his law enforcement certification and will never work in law enforcement again — two rare conclusions in use-of-force cases,” Marrow’s lawyers said in a joint statement.
“We recognize that most police officers honor their commitment to protect and serve and are integral parts of protecting the community. But those who violate that oath must be held accountable,” they added.