Camden Man Left Paralyzed After Police Encounter Slated To Get $10M

CAMDEN CITY, NJ — Xavier Ingram, the Camden City man who was left paralyzed from the neck down after an encounter with police, will receive $10 million from the county to settle his civil rights lawsuit against Camden County, his attorney said.

"This settlement is believed to be the largest settlement of any police brutality case in New Jersey history and one of the largest ever nationwide," said a press release from Beth G. Baldinger,Ingram's attorney, that was obtained by Patch.

The series of events that led to the settlement with Camden County began on June 12, 2014, when Ingram fled from police at the public housing complex where he lived, allegedly because he had an outstanding warrant for a driving violation, nj.com reported.

During a civil trial earlier this year that involved the three Camden County police officers involved in the encounter with Ingram and the immediate, subsequent actions, Ingram's attorney put witnesses on the stand that showed the jury how the breaking of Ingram's neck "could only have been caused by the tremendous forces applied by the police — and could not have been caused by a slip and fall as the defense contended," the press release from Baldinger stated.

After the encounter, police charged Ingram with counts related to possession of drugs and a stolen gun, according to the press release. During the civil trial, the evidence on these charges fell apart and were ultimately dismissed, according to the press release.

The civil trial earlier this year that involved the three Camden County police officers involved in the encounter with Ingram and immediate, subsequent actions with Ingram ended in a mistrial, the press release said.

Ingram currently receives round-the-clock care at the Hammonton Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, according to nj.com.

Camden County is "in complete disagreement," with the settlement and also said the settlement is "based on the insurance carrier making a business decision and forcing the hand of Camden County," Dan Keashen, a spokesperson for Camden County, told Patch.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Camden County.

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