City of Columbia releases Ferguson Litigation Settlement Information

In a release from the City of Columbia, the city says that, “the officers involved in the litigation maintain that they conducted a thorough, professional and ethical investigation into the murder of Kent Heitholt and deny they violated Mr. Ferguson’s constitutional rights.”

According to the release, the city says that they decided to settle the liability portion of the lawsuit “to avoid a lengthy, difficult, and uncertain trial on the issue of liability.”

Clarendon Insurance will pay its insurance policy limit of $2.25 million and the City of Columbia will pay its self-insured retention of $500,000.

The release also says that the settlement agreement limits the monetary damages recoverable from the City, Clarendon and the officers to a total of $2.75 million.

A judge has awarded more than $11 million to Ryan Ferguson, his family and attorneys in a settlement with Columbia police detectives on Monday.

Ferguson will receive $10 million while about $1,004,000 will go toward legal expenses.