New Hope okays $750k settlement with man shot by police

New Hope will pay $750,000 to a man who was shot by a borough police officer after confusing his Taser with his service weapon, according to a report.
In October, the borough settled the federal lawsuit filed by Brian Riling, 41, of Richboro. The amount covers attorney fees, expenses and costs.
Riling was shot by retired New Hope Police Cpl. Matthew Zimmerman in a holding cell on March 3, 2019. Riling sued Zimmerman and New Hope Borough, alleging officials, including Chief Michael Cummings, failed to properly train and supervise officers and that the department’s Taser training did not follow adopted policy.
The lawsuit also alleges that Zimmerman’s use of “unreasonable” force was the result of the borough’s “deliberate indifference in failing to train, supervise or discipline officers who engage in this conduct.” It also cites other department policy violations.
Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub ruled the shooting was unjustified but excused, citing “honest but mistaken” belief from the officer that he was deploying his Taser.
Zimmerman retired from the police department days before Weintraub released his determination.
Riling was sentenced to 23 months in county jail after he pleaded guilty in Bucks County Court to several charges involving an estranged girlfriend.

The settlement is the second large payout that the borough has made in recent years to settle a police-involved shooting lawsuit.
The borough paid a former resident $500,000 in 2015 to settle a federal lawsuit against the borough and five of its police officers.
Steven Cabelus was paralyzed after being shot in his spine in 2012 by police. They claim he brandished a gun when police arrived to serve him with an involuntary psychiatric commitment warrant.
Cabelus denied the police version of events, but the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office determined the shooting was justified.
New Hope Police Department updated its use-of-force policy and Taser directives in 2020 as part of the process toward obtaining Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation. Accreditation recognizes the highest standard of policing in the state. In 2021, the department updated their station to meet PLEA requirements.
At a borough council meeting last month, New Hope Mayor Laurence D. Keller announced that accreditation is moving towards completion for the department.

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