Imagine someone tearing down city traffic lights and selling them on eBay until the full reward had been recouped.

From the article it sounds like he could seize assets from the cop (who probably hasn't $6M) but not the city as the case was against him and not the city:

> The city spent more than $4 million fighting Howard's civil rights lawsuit, which originally included the city and several employees as defendants but ultimately just included Dowdy. Now the city says it won't indemnify Dowdy, whom it employed for 36 years. That means it won't pay the $6 million the jury awarded Howard