Comedian and actor Hannibal Buress has reached a settlement with the City of Miami after years of litigation over his 2017 arrest that he argued was unjustified and violated his civil rights.
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Miami commissioners voted unanimously in December 2025 to approve a $200,000 payout to Buress to resolve his lawsuit alleging false arrest and related claims stemming from the Wynwood incident.
Fans best know Buress, 44, for his stand-up comedy and roles on The Eric Andre Show and Broad City.
Miami Police Department officer Luis Verne stopped Buress on 9 December, 2017.
According to court filings and settlement details, the encounter began after Buress asked the officer to call him an Uber, saying his phone battery had died. Verne declined and later ordered Buress off the street.
When authorities released the body-worn camera footage, Buress can be seen engaging with the officer and questioning why he was being detained during the exchange that led to his arrest. During the arrest, Buress addressed any online viewers and called the officer “stupid as f–k.”
Prosecutors later dropped the misdemeanor disorderly intoxication charge that resulted from the event.
Hannibal Buress Wrongfully Arrested, Wins Lawsuit
Buress filed a federal lawsuit in 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against the City of Miami, MPD officers Verne and Elio Villegas. He alleged wrongful arrest in violation of his constitutional rights, as well as emotional distress and loss of income. The case moved slowly through the courts over several years.
In 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit denied an appeal by the officers over qualified immunity, clearing the way for the lawsuit to continue.
Buress and city attorneys ultimately agreed to the six-figure settlement in late 2025. The Miami New Times, which first reported the settlement, described the payment as a resolution of the 2020 civil rights action.
Buress’s legal team did not publicly release his comments about the settlement, and city officials declined further comment beyond the vote approving the payout.