SPOKANE, Wash - Comments made by former Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich will cost Spokane County and its insurance $20 million.
A jury in December ruled in favor of former sergeant Jeff Thurman, who sued Knezovich and Spokane County for defamation.
Knezovich fired Thurman and publicly accused him of using a racial slur and sexually harassing a former employee.Â
Thurman's attorney said the department's allegations did not substantiate those claims and, she says, Knezovich knew it when he called a press conference in June 2019 to rebuke Thurman.Â
"There was never any question that this allegation was false," said attorney Mary Schultz. "And that could have been demonstrably proved within about 48 hours of the sheriff hearing this. But that was not his design."
Schultz says Knezovich seized a political opportunity that day.
“The environment at that time was fertile for him to get up there in front of the media and prove himself – apparently – to be this hero of social justice in an environment and with an allegation that was very tantalizing for the media, very divisive for the community, potentially very beneficial to him as a politician," Schultz said.
Those allegations, Thurman contends, were enough to derail his career and his life.
In his lawsuit against the county, Thurman said the former sheriff "publicly characterized him as a racially profiling, racist, lawless deputy who hunted suspects based on race."
The jury sided with Thurman across the board, saying the county defamed him, placed him in a false light, inflicted emotional distress and treated him disparately because of his race.
They ordered the county to pay for lost wages and emotional distress.
Spokane County initially planned to appeal the decision, but ended that process last month with an agreement between both sides.
The county's insurance will cover most of that; the county is on the hook for about $2 million.
Schultz says as part of the settlement, Thurman was reinstated by the department and his badge was returned to him. He was then medically retired.
While he knows he won't be a law enforcement officer again, Schultz says the jury's decision will help him begin to move forward.
"He's just incredibly thankful to the jury who listened to this and really did the right thing for him and for this community," she said.
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