Iowa City Settles Marquis Jones Case for $5M. Liar Cop Claimed Black Man was Armed and in an Upright “firing position” when he shot him. But Video Shows He was Unarmed and Shot in the Back as He Fled

After the shooting, Another officer asks Chiprez where the gun is.

“I don’t know. Should we go look for it?” Chiprez replies.

He and Riffel then began retracing Jones’ path in search of the gun Jones had been carrying throughout the chase. Officers found the gun, Jones’ hat and a bag of marijuana on a hill near the corner of Seventh and Maple streets, where Jones had been running when Chiprez ordered him to “drop it” before firing seven shots in Jones’ direction. [MORE]

From [HERE] and [HERE] Burlington, Iowa, has agreed to pay $5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the mother of a man who was shot to death by police nearly five years ago, the two sides said Thursday.

The settlement comes nearly five years after Officer Chris Chiprez shot and killed 27-year-old Marquis Jones.

Police stopped Jones on Oct. 1, 2017, for allegedly playing music too loudly, and police say Jones ran away with a gun in his hand. Chiprez fired several shots at Jones, saying in reports that Jones had refused orders to drop the gun. Jones fled into a backyard, followed by Chiprez, who fired a final shot that struck and killed Jones.

Chiprez said in reports that he thought Jones was armed and was unaware that Jones had dropped the gun about 50 yards (45 meters) from where he was shot. But lawyers for Jones’ mother, Altovese Williams, said police body camera video and autopsy results showed that Jones was nearly prone on the ground when he was shot.

“I’m not aware of a settlement larger than this in the state of Iowa for a wrongful death, civil rights claim,” Cedar Rapids attorney Dave O’Brien, who represented Williams, said in a statement. “We believe the city’s agreement to settle for their policy limits shows that they understand that the shooting and killing unarmed people in Burlington needs to stop.”

Police Chief Marc Denney declined to comment on the settlement, but he did confirm that Chiprez remains on the police force.

“He's an officer in good standing who has been with the force for 20-plus years,” Denney said.

In March, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Chiprez was not entitled to qualified immunity in the lawsuit, citing body-camera footage that appeared to show Chiprez looking directly at items — including the gun — dropped by Jones while running after him. The appeals court also noted that autopsy results did not support Chiprez's assertion that Jones was in an upright “firing position” when he shot him.

The Davenport law firm of Betty, Neuman & McMahon, which is representing Chiprez and the city, didn't immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.