No liability for cop in rough arrest of Detroit-area woman

DETROIT – A Detroit-area police officer who had an intense physical struggle with a motorist before firing his Taser has been cleared of liability by the Michigan appeals court.

The court, in a 2-1 ruling, overturned a decision by a judge who wanted to send the lawsuit to trial. The appeals court says Mathew Furman's use of force didn't add up to "gross negligence."

Trinity Henderson was stopped by Furman in Melvindale in 2015. The officer subsequently learned that Henderson's driver's license was suspended and that she was driving an unregistered vehicle.

Furman pulled Henderson from the car after she refused to step out. Video shows the struggle moving to the police car where Henderson latched herself to the vehicle. Her head also made contact with the hood.

Judges Patrick Meter and Amy Ronayne Krause say Furman was “reacting to a belligerent, defiant, threatening” person.