Clubbed by cops over a 20-cent beer debt, a San Francisco man is now set to cash in on a citizen-paid settlement.
Kevin Woodson walked out of a grocery store 20 cents short for the beer he was carrying, according to the San Francisco Examiner. He had an informal credit system with the store at 1700 Eddy Street, the paper said, but police became involved just the same.
SFPD Officer Adam Eatia cornered Woodson and a friend at a nearby street corner, according to the lawsuit. Woodson put up his hands in a surrender fashion -- indicated by his stating, "I surrender" -- when Eatia began clubbing Woodson in the wrist and knee with his police baton, according to the newspaper.
Two witnesses plus nearby video surveillance captured the incident, in which Woodson's wrist and knee were broken. The assault also cost Woodson his job, according to attorney Panos Lagos.
The $71,000 settlement includes $26,000 in medical bills, according to the newspaper.
The City Attorney's Office, who negotiated the settlement, declined to comment.
