Six years after Harvey residents Eric Boatman and his mother, Carol Jarvis, filed a lawsuit against the city and a number of police officers claiming their home was unlawfully searched and Boatman falsely arrested, the city has settled the case.
The Harvey City Council approved a settlement June 24, agreeing to pay a reduced sum of $660,000, to be disbursed in quarterly installments through March 2027. The Daily Southtown obtained the settlement by filing a Freedom of Information Act request, after city officials initially would not release it.
The district court originally awarded Boatman $337,089 and Jarvis $34,070, along with $394,643 in attorneys’ fees, but after the city and plaintiffs filed separate appeals, a judge ordered both parties to reach an agreement to settle the disputes.
Harvey spokesperson Glenn Harston II said via email the lawsuit originated during former Mayor Eric Kellogg’s administration and resulted in a default judgment when city attorneys failed to appear in court. However, current Mayor Christopher Clark’s administration appealed the judgment and negotiated the settlement to reduce the financial burden Harston said.
Boatman and Jarvis agreed to a reduced sum Dec. 19, 2023, he said.
“By reaching a settlement, the city aimed to mitigate the damages and expenses associated with the original judgment,” Harston wrote.
Boatman and Jarvis, along with the civil rights attorney who represented them, Irene Dymkar, could not be reached for comment.
The lengthy lawsuit included 10 counts accusing the defendants of unconstitutional search and entry, failure to knock, improper execution of a search warrant, false arrest, unconstitutional post-bonding incarceration and prosecution, malicious prosecution, excessive force, illegal seizure of property and violations of due process.
Harvey police officers Gregory Thomas, Robert Wright, Elijah Muhammad, Ramon McCalpine, Oshay Rife, A. Martinez, Jeffrey York and Andrew Wallace, along with the city and other unidentified officers, were named in the complaint.
Officers arrived at the home with a warrant to search for cannabis on Boatman’s brother, Joseph Boatman, as well as the premises. The lawsuit alleged the warrant was invalid because it was obtained by omitting crucial information before the judge.
After discovering a gun in the laundry room but failing to find any cannabis, officers allegedly used excessive force against Boatman and unlawfully arrested him, the lawsuit claimed. He was then given a felony weapons charge related to the gun, which he claims he was unaware of, according to the lawsuit.
Boatman was found not guilty after trial but endured significant injuries, humiliation and emotional distress, the lawsuit alleged. He also suffered severe mental and emotional pain due to the Harvey officers’ actions, which included forcefully entering the home and, without provocation, killing the family dog, Samson.
“Boatman was never allowed to go near Samson to comfort him as he bled to death on the floor of the family home,” the lawsuit stated.
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Jarvis, who arrived as officers were searching the home, was also not allowed to go near Samson while he died, according to the lawsuit.
Officers proceeded to grab Boatman by the neck and slam him on the ground, keeping him detained for the duration of the search, the suit alleged.
Harston said most of the officers listed in the lawsuit were employed under the previous administration and are no longer on Harvey’s police force.
Harston said Harvey takes misconduct allegations seriously.
“An internal investigation was conducted, and appropriate actions were taken in accordance with city policies and procedures,” he wrote. “The specifics of any disciplinary measures are confidential personnel matters and cannot be disclosed publicly.”