CITY PAYS GAY BAR PATRONS $1 MILLION

The city of Atlanta has agreed to pay over $1 million to patrons who were involved in a botched police raid on a gay bar.

In November last year, the 19 individuals filed a lawsuit against the city, its chief of police and 48 individual officers of the Atlanta Police Department following the September 2009 raid on the Eagle bar.

During the raid, patrons were forced to lie face-down on the floor. They reported hearing anti-gay slurs and were forced to lie in spilled beer and broken glass. One patron was forced to lie on the floor even though he had injured his back in the Iraq War.

Ultimately, not a single patron was charged with any crime. Police found no public sex, no drugs or illegal weapons and were accused of not having a search warrant and of raiding the venue simply because it was a gay bar.

On Monday, the city passed a resolution to settle the suit and to pay the $1,002,500. It also agreed to make reforms to the police department to avoid similar scenarios.

The settlement must still be approved by a judge.