OGDEN — The Weber County Sheriff's Office and the family of Glen Lutz have settled a lawsuit over Lutz's hog-tying death for $240,000.

"It was a compromise on both sides," said Loni DeLand, lawyer for the Lutz family. "We weren't ecstatic about the amount, nor was the defense."

The suit filed by Lutz's family sought $27 million in damages for the death they claimed was related to the Oct. 16, 1999, traffic stop where three deputies hog-tied the combative Lutz.

Put on his stomach with his hands handcuffed behind his back and tethered to his shackled legs, Lutz briefly stopped breathing and lapsed into a coma. The deputies summoned paramedics after Lutz's breathing became labored but did not fully untie him. Paramedics restored Lutz's breathing, but he lapsed into a coma and died a month later without regaining consciousness.

"Mr. Lutz's death was tragic, but we still contend our deputies did nothing to contribute to his death," said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Klint Anderson.

"Trials can be very expensive and time-consuming," Anderson said. "Everybody involved wanted to get this behind them."

DeLand said his clients decided four years was enough in dealing with the death and the subsequent court time. From the $240,000 the county has agreed to pay, $152,086 will be divided three ways among Lutz's widow, Laurie, and two sons, Jerad and John. The rest goes to the defense team's fees and costs.

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