Thursday, November 18, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

$200,000 PAYMENT: Police settle lawsuit over casino action

Officer dragged woman outside

A surveillance video shows Paula Sadoff being dragged across the Palace Station Casino floor by Las Vegas police officer. REVIEW-JOURNAL

The Las Vegas police department has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman who a police officer dragged across a casino floor in September 2003.

Paula Sadoff, videotaped by a surveillance camera being pulled across the floor of Palace Station, died in her sleep Sept. 16, less than a month after she and her elderly husband filed a $4 million lawsuit against the police department.

Since Sadoff is dead and her 84-year-old husband Bob Sadoff has been in an assisted-living center since her death, it made sense to settle the case, Sadoff's attorney Brent Bryson said.

He said Sheriff Bill Young showed compassion in settling the case because the department could have made things difficult for Sadoff's husband had the case gone to trial.

"I believe the sheriff is taking the high road, and taking a step in the right direction, to settle this matter," Bryson said.

"They could have drawn this out and made it very difficult for us to prove the case."

Walt Cannon, attorney who handled settlement negotiations for the police department, couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.

The proposed settlement must be approved by the Metropolitan Police Committee on Fiscal Affairs, which is expected to consider it Monday.

Sadoff, 56, in August said she suffered a broken wrist and kneecap after hotel security called police following an argument.

In her lawsuit, Sadoff alleged that an officer used excessive force when he handcuffed her and dragged her through Palace Station.

Sadoff said she fainted and doesn't remember what happened after the officers came to her room; but a security camera videotaped an officer, identified in the lawsuit as Matthew Vorce, dragging a limp woman by the arm through the hotel lobby and out the door.

Paula Sadoff said the officer also slammed her against a car and dropped her onto the pavement.

Despite the video footage, Bryson said it would have been difficult to prove the case, since the key witness is dead.

"When Paula died, our ability to rebut the defendant's version of the facts was greatly curtailed," Bryson said. "Since Bob is 84 and in fragile health, unfortunately, we determined he wouldn't be able to testify strongly."