Los Angeles Paying $1.6M to Settle Suits Alleging Police Wrongdoing

April 9, 2021

Los Angeles will pay nearly $1.6 million to settle three lawsuits involving alleged wrongdoing by the city’s police department, a newspaper reported.

The City Council voted 12-1 this week to approve the payouts, which include $1.15 million for the shooting of a man from a police helicopter, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Police Department and the city attorney’s office declined to comment on the settlements, which allow the city to resolve the claims without admitting liability.

Two of the lawsuits stemmed from fatal shootings by police.

In one case, the mother of Anthony Soderberg sued over the killing of her son, who was shot to death by SWAT members after an armed standoff at a home he had broken into.

Police fired dozens of rounds at Soderberg, including some from a SWAT helicopter, which was a first in LAPD history.

The Police Commission found that officers opened fire on Soderberg when they were not in imminent danger or were too far away to distinguish a threat.

Soderberg’s family argued that police knew he was “a mentally ill and/or mentally disabled person with no intention to harm anyone.”

A Times analysis of city records found that over the past 51/2 years, Los Angeles has paid out more than $245 million to resolve legal claims involving police.

Topics Lawsuits Law Enforcement

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