Payout approved in police lawsuit

Board OKs settlement in suit accusing police of using excessive force

Baltimore’s spending board approved a $110,185 payout Wednesday to cover attorneys’ fees stemming from a civil rights lawsuit against two former city police officers.

The payment will close out a claim filed in 2017 accusing Baltimore Police Officers Justin Trojan and Jason Figueroa of using excessive force against city resident Steve Morse during a May 2014 arrest.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court, Morse was sitting on his deck cleaning an air rifle when he was approached by several officers, some in uniform, others not. Figueroa confiscated the air rifle, telling Morse it was illegal to have one in the city.

Morse asked for a receipt for the air rifle and then turned to walk back into his house, according to the lawsuit. Trojan then “violently attacked” Morse, the lawsuit states. According to the lawsuit, Morse was “tossed” into a van and was “violently thrown” during the ride to Baltimore Central Booking.

Morse suffered a broken right front tooth, a broken bone in his mouth that required surgery, nerve damage to his wrist and a knee injury as a result of the incident, the lawsuit states.

As a result of the incident, Morse was charged with second degree assault, disorderly conduct and discharging an air gun, as well as an alcohol and property damage charge. The charges were dropped two months later.

Morse sued, making claims of false arrest, false imprisonment, deprivation of civil rights and malicious prosecution. In August 2022, a federal jury found that Trojan used excessive force during the arrest. Both Trojan and Figueroa were cleared on claims of false arrest. The jury awarded a $51,250 judgment against the city for Trojan’s actions.

Trojan and Figueroa are no longer members of the police force, Assistant Solicitor Ebony Thompson told the Board of Estimates on Wednesday.

Morse’s attorney filed a motion seeking $144,380 in legal fees. Finding the fees “reasonable and well documented,” attorneys representing Baltimore offered a $110,185 settlement, according to the agenda for Baltimore’s Board of Estimates.

Thompson recommended the board approve the settlement in hopes of avoiding a higher award of fees and expenses if the city had disputed the request. The settlement will pay for the attorney who represented Morse for the last 10 months of the lawsuit, which took six years in the court system. Thompson said she did not know if the city would be responsible for paying fees to Morse’s original attorney.

The settlement does not include the judgment against Trojan.