$2.5M settlement approved in civil lawsuit over in-custody death of Keishon Thomas
Family of Keishon Thomas MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee's Common Council unanimously approved a $2.5 million settlement Tuesday in a civil lawsuit brought by the family of Keishon Thomas, the 20-year-old man who died in police custody back in 2022.
Thomas died at Milwaukee Police Department District 5 after he was taken into custody following a traffic violation.
According to the criminal complaint, Thomas told police he'd ingested drugs prior to his arrest. He died after being found in need of medical attention in his jail cell.
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Thomas' family against three MPD officers and the City of Milwaukee.
One of the three officers named in the suit- Donald Krueger- was charged with misconduct office in connection to Thomas' death. He was found guilty and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
Former MPD officer Marco Lopez - who was not named in the lawsuit - was also charged in connection to Thomas' death. Prosecutors said he intentionally made false entries in a report, "reflecting numerous inmate checks and inmate counts that never occurred."
Lopez pleaded guilty to attempted misconduct in office and was sentenced to two years of probation.
The two other officers named in the lawsuit, Adam Maritato and Robert Lloyd, were not criminally charged.
