WBRZ - Baton Rouge

The East Baton Rouge Metro Council has voted to pay $300,000 to settle a federal civil rights suit filed by a Baton Rouge man seriously injured by police in a 2006 arrest.

Abraham Barousalian was arrested following a routing traffic stop, after an officer saw an open bottle of tequila inside the car he was riding in.

Barousalian said he was beaten by officers, suffered a massive loss of blood and had to undergo emergency surgery.

The Parish Attorney's Office had recommended paying $30,000 to Barousalian, plus $31,784 in medical expenses, to settle the lawsuit.