WSU student's lawsuit against police settled for $500K

SPOKANE, Wash. — A lawsuit filed by a Washington State University student against Pullman police was settled for $500,000.

The Spokesman-Review reports 21-year-old Kyle North's federal lawsuit was settled last month, but the amount was not previously disclosed.

The lawsuit claimed officers used excessive force when they took North into protective custody in 2016.

It claimed police pushed him to the ground, used a stun gun on him, and fractured and dislocated his right arm.

Police Chief Gary Jenkins says the settlement was a "business decision" made to avoid the cost of a trial. He says officers did not do anything wrong.

The police department accepted no fault as part of the settlement.

North's attorney Erica Krikorian says her client will receive about $334,000 that will help him get a fresh start.