Zane Galvez was also caught up in that rash of beatings. On that day in August, he had gone by the area to drop off some liquor for the Woodeye wake, when the GSU came in, and beat him with a bat, so severely that they smashed his arm. His hand was in a cast for two months and it took another four months to fully heal.
He took out a civil suit against the GSU and the Government, which was separate from the George Street case. His attorney, Anthony Sylvester, represented him in that case, and today, the government crown counsel announced to the court that a settlement had been reached.
That settlement is for 30 thousand dollars. It may sound like plenty but he says he's not satisfied because his doctor bills alone almost add up to thirty thousand dollars:
Zane Galvez - Sued The Police Department
"Well, I am not satisfied because I don't really agree with it because my medical expenses almost added up to the amount of the settlement. I still have a lot of pain, and I still don't have full function of my arm as yet. In weathers like this, I still feel it. So, I don't really agree with it because this is a life time wound. My arm was broken pretty badly. I was expecting more than. I am still grateful that they ruled in our favour, but at the end of the day, I don't really know what the technicalities are behind it, so I just have to say that I appreciate what the lawyers did, and I appreciate the ruling, but we aren't really satisfied. I don't think anybody is satisfied, but before we have to go through more back and forth, a lot of deliberations, and waste of the court's time, we'll just settle for it."
Monica Bodden
"How do you feel that justice system actually took the side of you guys?"
Zane Galvez
"It makes me feel like we can actually have justice in this country, seeing all the justice which already happened, you know. I feel good. It makes you feel like we have hope; we can actually put our faith in the justice system, let it take its course, and I think that the bias hasn't reached the court yet. There is no influence over it. I think that it's a good thing. The agreement is that we'll get half this month, and then half in January."
Galvez says that his doctor said that the blow that smashed his arm would have killed him if it had caught his head, which he was protecting when he got hit. He says he's upset because none of the officers will stand trial for what he feels is attempted murder.
So, that's a total of $205,000 that the Government will have to pay out between the 19 litigants who sued the police because of the conduct of the GSU.
At newstime, the Commander of the GSU, ASP Marco Vidal, did not return our request for a comment.
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