A $200,000 settlement against a former Las Vegas police officer accused of excessive force was approved Monday.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Fiscal Affairs Committee approved the settlement in the case involving Richard Scavone, who was terminated months after the January 2015 incident.
The California woman, Amanda Vizcarrondo-Ortiz, involved in the case filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking at least $225,000 in February.
Vizcarrondo-Ortiz said she suffered permanent face, neck and back injuries during her arrest on littering and loitering for prostitution charges. The charges were later dropped.
According to the federal indictment against Scavone, on Jan. 6, 2015, he allegedly assaulted Vizcarrondo-Ortiz resulting in bodily injury. The incident was recorded on a body camera.
The indictment alleges that Scavone grabbed Vizcarrondo-Ortiz around the neck with his hand and threw the woman to the ground; struck her in the forehead with an open palm; twice slammed her head onto the hood of his patrol vehicle; and slammed her into the door of his patrol vehicle.
The obstruction charge alleges that on or about Jan. 6, 2015, Scavone knowingly falsified and made false entries in a document with the intent of impeding, obstructing and influencing the investigation and proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of the FBI.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the excessive force count, and a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine on the obstruction count.
