City of North Charleston reaches settlement with woman who claimed officers assaulted her

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - A settlement has been reached between the City of North Charleston and a woman who claimed officers had assaulted her outside her mother’s home in 2015.

Attorney Eric J. Erickson said North Charleston reached a $125,000 settlement in March before a jury trial in his client’s case.

Tessa Childress of North Charleston claimed North Charleston officers assaulted her outside her mother’s home in 2015.

In the suit filed in 2017, Childress claims one officer sexually assaulted her and a second officer assaulted her.

Childress has filed prior lawsuits against two other departments.

In 2013, she filed suit against the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

In the suit Childress claimed she was assaulted by detention officers at the Charleston County Jail and denied medical treatment there before and after the alleged assault. She asked for $300,000 in damages.

In June of that year, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit without ordering the sheriff's office to pay anything to Childress.

In May 2013, records show Childress sued the Charleston Police Department.

According to that suit, Childress claims she went to the police department to get some police reports where she was detained, questioned about her medical history and then assaulted by officers.

Records show in 2017 The City of Charleston settled with her for an undisclosed amount of money.

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