BART to pay $1.35 million to SF woman injured during arrest
BART has agreed to pay $1.35 million to a San Francisco woman who was slammed face-first into a jail floor by a BART police officer after being arrested on suspicion of public drunkenness two years ago.
The transit district agreed to the payment this month to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Megan Sheehan alleging excessive force.
In addition to the cash settlement, BART released a statement accepting responsibility for the injuries and pledging to take steps to make sure similar incidents do not occur in the future.
The incident took place at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where Sheehan was taken after being arrested for suspicion of public intoxication on St. Patrick’s Day in 2014.
Officers took her to Santa Rita Jail to be booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and public intoxication.
An internal investigation into the incident was halted after the lawsuit was filed but will resume, the statement said, and appropriate action will be taken once it is concluded.