LA to Pay $9.5m Over Woman’s Death in 2018 Police Shootout

Introduction

The city of Los Angeles will pay $9.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of a woman fatally shot by police during a shootout at a Trader Joe’s store six years ago, according to the family’s attorneys.

The father and brother of the 27-year-old victim filed a lawsuit in November 2018, alleging civil rights violations and wrongful death. The woman, who was an assistant manager at the Silver Lake store, was killed on July 21, 2018, when a gunman, fleeing from police, exchanged gunfire with officers as he ran inside the store.

Police stated that she was caught in the crossfire during the incident. The gunman had earlier shot his grandmother and kidnapped his girlfriend before taking dozens of hostages in the store. He eventually surrendered.

The family’s attorney argued that the officers could have prevented the woman’s death if they had followed proper training, stating, “Officers must consider the risks to bystanders when using deadly force, and they failed to do so here.”

The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled that the officer who fired the fatal shot did not violate department policy, concluding that the officer acted reasonably, believing the gunman posed an immediate threat of serious harm. The City Attorney’s Office did not immediately comment on the settlement.

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