DEARBORN — The Police Department has settled a lawsuit filed in 2014 on behalf of Ali Beydoun, a mentally disabled local man, who was subjected to excessive force by multiple police officers in an altercation that was captured on dash cam footage.

The case of Ali Beydoun vs. the city of Dearborn, Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad and eight other officers who were named in the suit, was overseen by U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division.

In April, both parties came to an agreement to settle the case for an undisclosed amount.

The incident occurred on December 7, 2013, when Beydoun was riding his bike home from work around 4 a.m. on Gould Street. He was a dishwasher at a local hookah lounge in east Dearborn that didn’t close until 3 a.m.

Beydoun was on the side of the street, fixing the chain on his bicycle, when a police car approached him. Officer John Balowski stepped out of the vehicle to ask Baydoun for his I.D.

Beydoun, who is not fluent in English, had a panic attack. Within minutes, eight officers were at the scene using excessive force on him, in an attempt to arrest him.

After wrestling with him for a few minutes, officers cuffed Beydoun and placed him in the back of a police vehicle.

But Beydoun was never booked. Instead, he was dropped off at Oakwood Hospital to be treated for the injuries he sustained from the altercation. Beydoun claimed he had suffered from back injuries, facial injuries and emotional distress as a result of the altercation.

The Arab American News broke the story in May 2014 after obtaining the dash cam footage of the incident, as well as Beydoun’s ride to the hospital.

The incident sparked outrage from the Arab American community as pressure mounted on the police department to hire more Arab-speaking officers.

At the time, Beydoun said the entire incident could have been prevented if the police department had provided a translator for him. He claimed he did not understand that the officer was asking for his I.D., and instead feared he was being wrongfully arrested –which triggered a panic attack.

The Arab American News has learned that Officer Balowski is no longer working with the Dearborn Police force, although it was not disclosed whether he left voluntarily or if he was fired.

Beydoun’s case also left many questioning the Police Department’s protocol and practices towards individuals with mental disabilities.

Some two years after the Beydoun incident, Dearborn police would encounter others with mental health issues.

Both Kevin Matthew, 35, and Janet Wilson, 31, Detroit residents who were fatally shot by Dearborn police officers in separate incidents, suffered lifelong battles with mental illness, according to their families.

Amir Makled, the attorney representing Beydoun, said he hoped this lawsuit leads to progressive change in the Police Department. He believes last week’s announcement of the Justice Department stepping in to aid the police force was a move in the right direction.

“I hope that this case highlights some of the deficiencies the department was having,” Makled said. “Lets hope they work towards a global resolution of having a positive impact for all citizens of the city in regards to mental health, language barriers and other avenues that good policing encounters.”

Makled said Beydoun is satisfied with the outcome of the lawsuit. He now works at a local restaurant in Dearborn and is ready to move forward.

“He’s happy that it’s been resolved and he’s continuing to work,” Makled said. “He’s back to his normal life style and he’s trying to put this behind him.”