FORT MYERS, Fla. - The City of Fort Myers agreed to pay $440,000 to NFL player Nate Allen after he was wrongfully accused of a lewd act in a parking lot.
The City Council met Monday in a closed-door session and unanimously agreed to the settlement for his wrongful arrest in 2015.
Allen sued the city after an incident two years ago, when Fort Myers police wrongly identified him as the man who exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl.
Officers arrested and detained Allen for hours. The State Attorney's Office later cleared Allen of the misdemeanor charge.
The Miami Dolphins safety filed the lawsuit last year, saying police violated his civil rights.
"He didn't deserve this; the council understands that," said Mayor Randy Henderson, prior to the meeting.
The settlement keeps the case out of court for both parties, but many hope it continues to promote change in the community.
The city also fired police Chief Doug Baker after determining Baker lied about making a phone call to release Allen.
Allen said after he filed the suit that he hoped police learned a lesson from the experience. "I hope that they do realize they did something wrong, and they have taken on that responsibility."
