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A FOX25 Northeastern University School of Journalism investigation found the city of Boston has paid more than $30,000,000 to settle cases against the police department in the last decade. One of those cases involved a $400,000 payout to Jacob Carnelli who was charged with assaulting Officer Adarbaad Karani after a night out at a Boston bar.

Karani was working a detail at the Revolution Rock Bar in the Financial District in June 2009.

The criminal case against Carnelli was dismissed after surveillance video from the bar surfaced the following year.

In 2014, the city of Boston paid Carnelli $100,000 and the bar paid him $300,000 to settle a civil suit.

“Did he assault that police officer?” asked FOX Undercover's Mike Beaudet to Attorney John Markham who represents Carnelli.

“Not once, not ever,” said Markham who admits his client was intoxicated on the night in question.

Witnesses tell conflicting stories about what happened in the early morning hours of June 9.

According to the police report, the witnesses who work at the bar told officers Carnelli "fell to the ground several times and that at no time did anyone strike him."

But a recording from a Boston police dispatcher relayed another version.

“Can you check 190 High St. in front of the Revolution Club? Passerby said they saw someone getting either arrested or roughed up by the bouncers,” said the dispatcher. “They dropped him on his face and he's now bleeding."

Medical records show Carnelli was left with a long list of injuries including multiple concussions and a broken jaw.

Attorney Markham credits the bar's surveillance video for turning the case around in his client's favor.

“One video and the truth came out. That's how good videos are,” said Markham.

The video shows Carnelli was physically removed from the bar by bouncers at 1:47 a.m., but then returned to retrieve his credit card which he had left behind.

But the video and the police report offer differing explanations about what happened.

"Carnelli pushed officer Karani in the chest and stomach area in an attempt to get into the bar,” according to the police report. “Carnelli ran from the officer and left the area without further incident."

But the video shows Carnelli walk back into the bar at 1:58 am to get his credit card where he's stopped by a bouncer.

Officer Karani is seen calmly walking up behind him.

For the next three minutes, the video shows Carnelli remaining in the doorway before the conversation gets heated and Carnelli is finally pulled out of the bar at 2:01 a.m.

He ends up on the ground.

A second camera shows officer Karani with his knee on Carnelli's back.

“You can watch that tape 1,000 times. There is no chance that anybody can think that Jacob pushed into anybody,” said Markham. “He was standing there, waiting for his credit card to be retrieved. He didn't touch a soul.”

Soon after the video surfaced, the judge dismissed the case.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office tells us the video doesn't capture everything that unfolded and says the case was dismissed because "(Officer Karani) was late for court after attending a charity event and the judge was impatient." Attorney Markham calls that claim “preposterous”.

Boston Police declined to comment on the case, but the police department's internal affairs investigation of Officer Karani is still pending, six years after the incident. A police spokesman tells FOX25 it is expected to be completed soon.

Mayor Walsh only learned about the case after FOX Undercover brought it to his attention.

“This case happened in 2009, we have an internal affairs investigation going on six years later. Shouldn't there be a resolution by now?” asked FOX Undercover's Mike Beaudet.

“It's a case I'm not as familiar with as you might be,” said Walsh.

“The man's attorney says the video proves that the police officer was not being truthful in his report. This happened before your watch, but do you want answers about this?” asked Beaudet.

“Well certainly and that's a case, something that probably should have been settled a long time ago,” said Walsh. ”And it's something I'm going to do a full review and see what the situation is here.”

Karani declined to comment.

This investigation was reported on for a seminar in investigative reporting at Northeastern University. It was overseen by journalism professor Mike Beaudet, investigative reporter at WFXT-TV FOX25 News.