Have you ever found a $20 bill in your pocket and felt like you won the lottery? Well, a man in Keokuk, Iowa, didn’t exactly pocket a lottery prize, but he did win a $30K lawsuit that all started from the simple and relaxing act of lounging on a bench. In a resurfaced video on Reddit‘s r/mildyinteresting, Logan Land was lying on a park bench watching the sunrise when two cops approached him. The officers claimed a “third party” called them to report a suspicious person sleeping on the bench. When Land refused to give the police his name, they arrested him without hesitation.
The video shows Land dealing with the local Iowa police calmly yet firmly, which is undoubtedly his first small step toward winning his future lawsuit. Had he gone down in a brawl before getting cuffed, then things might have ended differently. Fortunately, Land had his wits about him and made sure to comply with the authorities despite how absurd it was to be detained for relaxing on a bench. He was arrested in 2019, but the charges were dropped. Two years later, the unlawfully arrested Land filed a lawsuit for the police’s actions, and in 2022, he won, earning himself a handsome $30K.
“Dude’s like, ‘Sure,’ hands behind back. Swiftest $30K this guy will make in his life, 😂” quips a commenter. Of course, it probably took a good deal of patience and effort to win the lawsuit after three years post the unjust arrested. Yet, Land preserved and got his prize. For clarification, the city settled for $30,000, with a $3,000 deductible paid by the city and the rest by insurance. “Should’ve been a $30,000 settlement from the police officer’s Bank account,” remarks a Redditor, suggesting that the one who made the arrest should have paid the price.
If you’re wondering why in the world the Iowa cops would arrest a man on a bench in the first place, you’re not alone. “What bothers me more is some moron actually called the police over someone sitting on a bench. Incredible,” reads a top comment. “Have the police got nothing better to do? Just looks like an ordinary bloke sitting on a bench, minding his own business,” says another. Reportedly, the one who called the cops on Logan Land “was none other than the Assistant Chief of Police,” who was off-duty at the time.
That said, many believe that office politics may have been involved, meaning that the cops made the arrest to please their superiors. It makes sense to an extent, but it is still scummy and no more unlawful than any other ridiculous reason. Whatever the case, it’s good to know that Land was compensated for being harassed by cops who had nothing better to do with their time. Check out the video by LackLuster below for more details about how the lawsuit went down: