City of Cedar Rapids agrees to $8 million settlement in Jerime Mitchell lawsuit

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - The city of Cedar Rapids’ insurance company has agreed to pay a settlement of $8 million in the lawsuit by Jerime Mitchell to dismiss the claims with no acknowledgement of fault or liability on the part of the defendants.

Jerime Mitchell was left paralyzed after an officer involved shooting in November 2016. The officer that shot Mitchell, Sergeant Lucas Jones, was fired in June 2020 for “violating department policy.”

While Jones was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury, Mitchell filed a civil suit against Jones and the City of Cedar Rapids.

The jury trial in the case of Jerime Mitchell and Bracken Mitchell v. Lucas Jones and the City of Cedar Rapids had been set to begin on April 20.

In a news release, the city’s insurance carrier, States Insurance, said it was determined that a settlement was in the best interests of the city.

“This case has been divisive to our community and it is our hope that we can continue to enhance relationships that build trust between our community and our Police Department, We all share the desire for a safe community,” the city said in a statement.

The settlement is subject to city council approval.

Mitchell’s Attorney Larry Rogers, Jr. said the most significant result of the litigation was getting Lucas Jones fired as a police officer.

“Through our lawsuit, my lawyers proved that Lucas Jones was an untruthful police officer who intentionally violated police policies and procedures and would turn off his recording equipment to conceal his policy violations,” said Jerime Mitchell.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated the city of Cedar Rapids was paying the settlement, but the city’s insurance company has the right to control the settlement and is paying the settlement.

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