El Paso County agrees to $675,000 settlement with former inmate

A woman who was injured during a struggle with deputies at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center in 2014 has reached a settlement with county officials.

The settlement was announced Tuesday during the Board of County Commissioners meeting.

According to terms of the settlement, the county will pay Philippa McCully $675,000. The contract has a July 12 deadline for final approval. The county is required to pay $250,000 of the settlement, with insurance covering the rest.

During an attempt to restrain McCully, a former inmate at the jail, a deputy used a “leg swipe” technique intended to force her to the floor, but she landed on her knee and was injured.

County officials and the Sheriff’s Office agreed with the settlement, saying the county could have ended up paying McCully more if she won damages in a jury trial, but also not admitting fault in the 2014 incident.

Deputies have since stopped using the leg swipe and have been trained in safer techniques to restrain inmates.

Officials also said a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court raises the standard for jail deputies to use deadly force.

Because the decision is largely an insurance matter, commissioners were unable to comment on or vote for or against the settlement.

It’s believed to be the largest settlement of its kind in county history.