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Hampton settles lawsuit with man injured during vehicle search

Posted at 11:29 AM, Feb 08, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-08 11:29:16-05

HAMPTON, Va. – The city settled a lawsuit with a man injured during a the search of a vehicle in 2015. Andre Wiggins will receive $130,000 in the settlement, according to a city spokesperson.

The family of Wiggins says he shattered his jaw and nearly severed his tongue during the May 2015 incident. Police say officers saw a gold minivan being driven by someone who had a suspended driver’s license, and pulled the car over. Wiggins was a passenger.

During the search of the minivan, police say they found marijuana debris near where Wiggins was sitting. Because of that, officers searched Wiggins, but he fell leading to his facial injuries.

Officers said the fall was an accident. A city spokesperson had no comment on the settlement.