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KCPD, teen reach settlement over excessive force

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Posted at 11:37 AM, Jan 07, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-07 16:03:21-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department has settled an excessive force claim in connection to an incident in Nov. 2019.

A KCPD spokesperson confirmed Thursday the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners signed off on a $725,000 settlement in connection to the incident, which involved Sgt. Matthew Neal and Officer Dylan Pifer.

The settlement, which was first reported by the Kansas City Star, was approved by a Jackson County judge as part of a civil proceeding.

In August, Neal was indicted by a Jackson County Grand Jury for third-degree assault against the teen. Neal pleaded not guilty in October.

Neal allegedly knelt on a 15-year-old boy’s neck and struck him with a knee, causing serious injuries. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in Aug. 2020 that the teen suffered multiple chipped front teeth and needed eight stitches to close a gash on his forehead.

The teen was riding in a car that police attempted to stop and then pursued.

The incident occurred at Go Chicken Go near 51st Street and Troost Avenue, where the pursuit ended.

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