Lawsuit over man's death after arrest settles for $305,000

WARREN (AP) — A judge has approved a $305,000 settlement in the case of a man who died hours after his arrest in suburban Detroit.

Forty percent of the money will go to lawyers for fees and litigation costs in bringing the lawsuit against Warren officers. Thomas Sondey died from a heart ailment in 2012.

Officers had responded to a call about Sondey, who was passed out in his car in a parking lot. Breath tests revealed a high blood-alcohol level.

A lawsuit filed by Sondey’s family says officers and others at the Warren Police Department didn’t seek timely medical help, despite evidence of breathing problems while he was locked up.

The settlement was approved last week by U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn.