The Village of Oak Lawn says it will pay $825,000 to settle a lawsuit by a man punched by a village police officer.

Hadi Abuatelah was 17 years old when video showed him being held to the ground and punched in the head and legs by three Oak Lawn police officers in July 2022.

The Village, in a statement Tuesday, said it settled the lawsuit filed in federal court at the behest of the village’s insurance carrier, and not due to “the merits of the case.” The village said it will pay $250,000 of the settlement out of pocket.

In the incident, police said the officers stopped a car carrying Abuatelah, now 21, because they smelled marijuana. Police said Abuatelah ran away from the officers, which led to the arrest.

Officers recovered a loaded pistol from Abuatelah’s bag. Abuatelah later pleade

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