Kansas City, Mo. – A former Kansas City policeman today won $6.5 million from a lawsuit claiming he should not have been fired. One of Danny Holmes' successful claims was racial discrimination.
Holmes always claimed he was the fall guy when the Board of Police Commissioners fired him in 2008, although the case dated back to 2003. It involved investigations that took twists and turns through felony probes of drug dealing and homicide and disappearing evidence.
After the jury finding, police spokesman Captain Rich Lockhart said, "We're consulting with our attorneys and we're going to be exploring our options including whether or not we'll be appealing the verdict."
A special prosecutor appointed to defend the police board argued Holmes made judgment errors. the Jackson County Circuit Court civil jury disagreed.
The $6.5 million is the largest local award in a case of its type in recent memory.