Mount Vernon Awards $40,000 To Man Arrested For Fist Bump

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The City of Mount Vernon will pay $40,000 to a man who says police misinterpreted his fist-bump greeting as a drug transaction.

Basil Johnson, 49, was detained in 2010 on marijuana possession charges, but was acquitted by a jury in 2011.

Attorney Antoinette L. Williams, Johnson's lawyer, said her client was arrested after greeting an acquaintance on the street, the Journal News reported. There was no marijuana in his possession.

He sued the city in 2012 seeking damages for unlawful arrest and other alleged policing lapses.

The Mount Vernon Board of Estimate and Contract voted on Johnson's settlement Tuesday.

Corporation Counsel Lauren P. Raysor told Mayor Ernest Davis that one of the arresting officers refused to testify.

Williams said Johnson is "reasonably satisfied'' with the settlement.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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