The city's spending panel approved an $80,000 settlement Wednesday in a false imprisonment suit against Baltimore police.
Antonio Smittick sued the city after, he said, he lost his job as a building engineer and grounds maintenance worker stemming from an incident with police in May 2012. He sued five officers on the force.
Smittick said he's remained unemployed since he was arrested after city police charged him with drug distribution and having a handgun on his person.
Police alleged that they spotted Smittick exchange an item — believed to be drugs — for money, and then enter a property in the 1900 block of W. North Ave. in Baltimore's Mondawmin neighborhood.
An officer watched Smittick and another man leave the house and begin walking eastbound on North Avenue. He called and alerted other officers of the situation, and the two men were detained for a suspected drug transaction.
Officers said they discovered a bag of marijuana on the second man, and both were arrested.
The men allegedly told officers they lived in the house, and police said they received consent to search it. Smittick disputes that. During a search, officers allegedly found a loaded handgun, ammunition and a bag with suspected cocaine.
The city's law department recommended a settlement due to "conflicting factual issues, constitutional concerns and questions regarding probable cause."
Efforts to reach Smittick and his attorney for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.
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