The Champaign City Council Tuesday will be asked to approve the last lawsuit settlement involving former city police officer Matt Rush – who the city permanently terminated a month ago Friday. Three previous excessive force lawsuit settlements involving Rush totaled $320,000. The last, for $250,000, involves a lawsuit filed by Precious Jackson against Rush and two other officers – regarding her arrest in May 2014.
The city of Champaign has permanently terminated police officer Matt Rush after two-and-a-half years of appeals and litigation. City Manager Dorothy David announced the $50,000 separation agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police at the conclusion of Tuesday's Champaign City Council meeting. Rush was twice fired by the city, and was the subject of multiple excessive force lawsuits, costing the city more than $300,000 in settlements.
Once again, an arbitrator acting under terms of the Champaign police union contract has ruled in favor of fired police officer Matt Rush, in one of the two charges cited for his 2016 dismissal.
Independent arbitrator Micheal Falvo determined that the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s refusal to use Rush as a courtroom witness was not valid grounds for firing Rush last April --- and that State’s Attorney Julia Rietz overstepped her bounds in doing so. The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police announced the arbitrator’s ruling on Monday.
Top Champaign officials had met with concerned citizens about the conduct of former police officer Matt Rush as far back as 2012 – well before four incidents that led to excessive force lawsuits, new documents filed in court Wednesday show.
Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz and opponent and Assistant Public Defender George Vargas found little to agree on during a candidates' forum Thursday. He alleged "incompetence" on the part of her office, referencing the weekend shootings near the University of Illinois, and why suspect Robbie Patton was allowed to spend time in a Corrections boot camp, and was not imprisoned for a prior incident.
