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The City Set to Shell Out $300K for Anthony Anderson Death

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- A wrongful death suit is set to cost Baltimore City big.

The City's spending panel will approve a $300,000 settlement surrounding the death of Anthony Anderson. The largest settlement since Freddie Gray's back in 2015.

Anderson died after being tackled by a police officer in east Baltimore.

Long before Freddie Gray, it was a case that exploded with controversy in the City. All surrounding the arrest and death of 46-year-old Anthony Anderson.

"We want these officers fired," said a family member of Anderson.

Back in 2012, officers arrested Anderson in east Baltimore after suspecting a drug transaction.

Police said he failed to comply and claimed he slipped drugs into his mouth, which prompted one officer to use a take-down maneuver. Anderson later died.

The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide and an autopsy showed he had fractured ribs and a ruptured spline.

"There was not an ounce of shame in the eyes, thoughts or minds of these officers," said J. Wyndal Gordon, attorney for the family.

More than five years later, Baltimore's spending panel is now set to approve a $300,000 settlement brought by Anderson's family.

"It was negotiated before I came mayor, I'm sure it was negotiated in proper fashion," said Mayor Catherine Pugh.

While incidents like this continue to shine a negative light on the Baltimore City Police Department, the mayor says she's confident they're heading in the right direction.

The mayor cites sweeping policy changes with the recently negotiated consent decree. A crack down to make sure incidents like this are long gone.

"I think we'll see less and less of these. I'm very confident in direction we're going, but this is about so we don't have these kind of incidents moving forward in the future," said Pugh

According to online records, all three police officers involved in the incident remain employed by the department.

The former Baltimore state's attorney said the officers did not use excessive force and never brought charges in the death.

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