Oakland to pay $2.2M to former Black Panther leader who sued

OAKLAND, Calif. – The city of Oakland will pay $2.2 million to settle a claim by a former Black Panther leader who was injured in 2015 after a city councilwoman punched and pushed her.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the Oakland council approved the settlement unanimously Tuesday. The payment includes $1.2 million in damages for Elaine Brown and $1 million in attorneys’ fees.

A jury in January awarded more than $4 million in damages to Brown in a lawsuit against the city and Councilwoman Desley Brooks. A judge later lowered the figure to $1.2 million.

The jury found Brooks shoved Brown inside a restaurant during an argument over an affordable housing project, causing her to fall and injure her shoulder.

Brooks, who wasn’t at the meeting where the settlement was approved, is running for re-election this fall.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com