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Michael J. Reynolds, the former New York City Police officer who drunkenly broke into a Black family’s home in Nashville and called them racial slurs, has been ordered by a federal judge to pay them $1 million, The Tennessean reports.
Reynolds will issue payment to Conese Halliburton, who was home with her children on July 18, 2018, when Reynolds kicked in the front door of her home, convinced that her home was the Airbnb he was staying in.
In January, Halliburton filed a $5 million civil suit against Reynolds accusing him negligence, trespassing and the infliction of emotional distress. The monies ordered by the judge this week are a result of the suit.
“Ms. Halliburton promised from the beginning that she would hold ex-Officer Reynolds fully accountable for his criminal misconduct and obtain justice for her family regarding this despicable incident,” said Nashville attorney Daniel A. Horwitz, who represented Halliburton. “We are certainly pleased with this development, but we also aren’t finished here.”
Unfortunately Horowitz estimates that Halliburton won’t be able to recoup all of the money due to Reynolds declaring bankruptcy.
Reynolds had previously traveled from New York City to Nashville to attend a bachelor party and was actually staying in the home next door to Halliburton’s.
In surveillance video captured of the event, Reynolds can be heard yelling, “Try to shoot me, and I’ll break every f—ing bone in your f—ing neck,” before calling them “f—ing n——.”
After the violent incident Halliburton said she approached Halliburton and the group of men, but was laughed and shrugged off after she expressed her concerns. While Nashville police were called to her home on the night of the event, they declined to make an arrest, only investigating after the case began gaining national attention.
Reynolds was sentenced to 15 days in jail in December and placed on probation for three years. In January he resigned from the force due to the backlash.
Halliburton and her family are in therapy, still recounting the horrors of their experience. A GoFundMe page was established earlier this year to offset some of Halliburton’s legal fees.
