Philadelphia police officer Kenneth Fleming has cost the city and an insurance company nearly $1 million in legal settlements, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. In one case, $750,000 was paid to settle a suit brought by a minister who was nearly paralyzed when Fleming threw him to the ground at Philadelphia International Airport. Fleming has been suspended for punching a court officer in front of a sitting judge, and for performing a strip search in public. He’s been called a liar by the police internal investigators.
The 24-year veteran of the force remains on the job. “Why is Fleming still in the department and still in contact with the public?” asked civil rights lawyer David Rudovsky, who represented two people who have won settlements in cases involving Fleming. Today, Fleming, 45, is expected to face another police disciplinary hearing – which is closed to the public – for allegedly using excessive force against the minister. Until the Philadelphia Police Department decides otherwise, Fleming remains on duty at the airport, facing thousands of daily travelers.