Seattle Pays $974,000 to Leschi Resident from Damage by Police!?!?

Is it me or is that A LOT of money?  I generally do not like to take sides on these kinds of things, but come on nearly $1 million for repairs for a house, lost possessions, lost wages, and to find a replacement place to stay?  You can read the article on Tacoma News Tribune to get the details, but in a nutshell, Maurice Clemmons killed 4 police officers south of Seattle in Pierce County.  He was on the run.  The police were informed by family members that he was hiding at his aunt’s house in Leschi.  The Seattle Police surrounded the home and shot tear-gas canisters into the home, thus breaking windows and covering the walls, furniture, and possessions with residue.

Now the city is paying $1,000,000 in damages to repair the Leschi house and for other damages?  My questions:

1)  Is “tear-gas canisters” really just another word for grenades?  Unless they are grenades, I do not know why we, yes we the citizens of Seattle, have to pay $250,000 (the portion to fix the home) to update their plumbing, electrical, and foundation?

2) So $724,000 for rental payments, lost wages, and personal property?  So let me figure this out.  There were 8 people living in the house.  So they have to rent a big place for $5,000 month, it has been a year, and say it takes another year to fix the house (well…they do have to get permits).  That is $120,000.  Suppose they all made $100,000 times 8 people (assuming none were kids or retired) living there, so that is $800,000, but they only missed a month of work (I figure that’s enough time to get settled) so divide that by 12 months, that is $67,000.  They each had $10,000 in clothes that is $80,000.  They had big screen TV and computers and stereo equipment, say $15,000.  Furniture another $30,000.  Expensive instruments $20,000, and oh yes their extensive art collection $50,000.  So that came out to $382,000….so I am a little over half way there.

After the article on the Tacoma News Tribune, I did read the comments and it seems divided.  Basically one side argues: ‘cops are thugs so it is deserved, the family members did the right thing and turned Maurice Clemmons in, you do not know the details so how can you judge, these people have had their lives turned upside down so we should compensate them’ versus the side that says: ‘that’s ridiculous, that’s a lot of money, and some begging the Seattle Police to shoot canisters in their house so they can get a million dollars too.’

Ironically, at least to me, more people sided with the amount being fair.  I guess that is why the City of Seattle settled.