Joshua Rivera alleged in the May lawsuit that during a traffic stop in 2017 Butler city police abused their authority by letting loose a K-9 officer, pictured with his handler, and it “viciously attacked” Rivera while officers watched.

Recent court filings reveal the City of Butler agreed to pay a tentative settlement to a Franklin County man over a police brutality lawsuit.

Plaintiff Joshua Rivera alleged in the May lawsuit that during a traffic stop in 2017 Butler city police abused their authority by letting loose a K-9 officer, and it “viciously attacked” Rivera while officers watched. According to court documents, the settlement was reached late last year, but the existence of the agreement wasn’t revealed until recent court filings.

In these recently-released filings, the matter of which side will pay for Rivera’s medical bills is discussed as a precursor to reaching a settlement. One of Rivera’s lawyers, Pittsburgh-based Tyler Setcavage, declined to share the settlement amount the city agreed to pay Rivera, nor the amount of his client’s medical bills. Federal Judge Susan Paradise Baxter has given both sides until Friday to file arguments over the matter.

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