Police officers in South Carolina and eight other states could join a class-action lawsuit in hopes of getting back the money they spent to fend off allegations of misconduct.
The suit, filed last week in state court in Charleston, came after the Southern States Police Benevolent Association refused to pay an attorney to represent Michael Slager, the former North Charleston officer who shot Walter Scott to death last year. Slager, a group member who had signed up for the association’s legal defense benefit, sued.
But many others in law enforcement also grew unhappy over the association’s decision not to cover Slager in the murder case, said one of his attorneys in the civil suit, Ronnie Richter.
Richter, and partner Eric Bland, then filed the separate class action that seeks to add some of the other 42,000 officers in the association’s coverage area.
Lt. Donald Stanley of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office is named in the suit as lead plaintiff of the potential class.
At issue is whether the association effectively became an insurer by offering the legal coverage. Both suits allege that the group skirted state insurance regulators by calling their offer a “member benefit” for those who pay $23.50 in monthly dues.
Scott’s death was captured on video, prompting the association to retract Slager’s coverage. It argued that the policy allowed the group to drop clients if it’s determined that the officer willfully violated the law. The shooting came amid heightened scrutiny of uses of police force nationwide.
“In the current climate, it’s foreseeable as a police officer that a claim may be made against you,” Richter said. “It’s important to know the coverage you pay for is available. Ultimately, it has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.”
On top of a refund of dues, the complaint asks for enough punitive damages to stress the seriousness of the association’s alleged actions, and to deter further conduct.