The family of a man who died after being arrested by the Baltimore City Police has been awarded $7.4 million at the conclusion of a wrongful death suit.

Officers Sendy Ferdinand and Michael Riser arrested Dondi Johnson Sr. on charges of public urination in 2005. They put him into a van driven by a third officer, Nicole Leake. The Johnson family's suit alleged that the officers failed to properly secure him with a seatbelt, and that Officer Leake drove recklessly, causing Johnson to be thrown around in the back of the vehicle. The officers testified that they took Johnson to the hospital when he began to complain of pain. There, Johnson was diagnosed with assorted injuries, including a fractured spine, which was the injury that eventually caused his death two weeks after his admission to the hospital.

The jury found Ferdinand and Riser guilty of negligence for detaining Johnson, saying he should have been issued a citation instead of being arrested. They also found that, as operator of the vehicle, Leake was grossly negligent for failing to ensure that Johnson was properly belted into a seat as well as for driving recklessly.

In terms of payment of the judgment, however, responsibility is not yet clear. The officers’ attorneys were provided by the city, even though the city itself was not named in the wrongful death lawsuit. If the award stands, it is unclear if the $7.4 million will come out of the officers' personal finances or the city’s police budget. The city is considering an appeal and has, as yet, taken no disciplinary action against the officers despite the jury's findings.

The Johnsons had originally sought a $100 million judgment in the matter.