Maryland County has reached a 20 million settlement with the family of an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by police after being handcuffed in a patrol car in January, officials said Monday. The figures, released on Sunday, are among the largest in the police officer’s murder case.
Angela D., county executive of Prince George’s County. “There is no fair price for such damage, but we believe Mr. Leela was prosecuted that night and ultimately this settlement is guaranteed against his family,” Storebooks said. , Said in a news conference.
Former Plaintiff Ms. Weaverbrooks noted that police have been “given a terrifying and extremely difficult responsibility to save lives by this community.”
“And when that trust is abused, swift and decisive action is needed,” he added.
Corporal, Michael Owen Jr., 10-year-old P, of the Prince George Police Department, person, William H. Green was shot several times on Jan. 27 while Mr. Leela’s hands were handcuffed behind his back and officers said he was sitting in the front seat of a parked police cruiser.
Officials said Corporal Owen, who is black, fired seven shots from inside his patrol car, six of which killed Mr. Green in the collision.
The police chief at the time said the father of two, who worked for Megabus, was pulled over by Mr. Green and handcuffed because he was suspected of driving under the influence after hitting several cars.
Body Owen was waiting for another officer to arrive to evaluate Mr. Green for the drug while he was firing the shot.
The initial police department indicated there had been a struggle before the shooting. But after reviewing what happened, investigators concluded that “there is no sensible explanation for how Mr. Green could try to control the gun.” Said Storebrooks.
Within 24 hours of the murder, police officers charged Corporal Owen with second-degree murder. This is the first time a county police officer has been charged with murder for killing someone in the line of duty, Sunibaran Brubes said.
Body Owen, who remains suspended without pay, was also charged with voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, first-degree assault and using a weapon to commit a violent crime.
“I have decided that he should not be treated differently in any way by anyone else who has shot someone several times without justifying anyone, because there are no two systems of justice.” Ms. Storebrooks said.
The county has been mediating for the past few months with the Green family and its lawyers. Separate criminal proceedings involving Corporal Owen are ongoing, Ms. Storebooks said. The body was in jail awaiting a hearing Monday afternoon, according to Owen County. His lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment, but he told the Washington Post that the criminal charges against Sivikaran Owen were based on “unsubstantiated or discounted facts and misleading assumptions in a hurry.”
One of the family’s lawyers, William H. Murphy Jr., said the compromise “reflects the Jain nature, the ruthless nature, the unconscious nature of what happened to Mr. Green.” He said while some may question the settlement amount, the county will probably have to spend less than going to a trial hearing, while the family had to wait years for a resolution.
Another lawyer in the family, McCallum P. Rafe said the compromise should be interpreted as a message that “illegal police violence against unarmed black men should not go unchecked and our communities will no longer stand for this.”
At the news conference, Mr. Green’s 21-year-old daughter, Shelley Green, mourned the loss of her father, whom she called the “glue” that kept the family together.
“It always was,” he said. “Now I’ve been alone without her for the rest of my life.”
In 2011, the department placed Corporal Owen, who was an officer at the time, on administrative leave, after he shot and killed a black man in a landover, police said, adding that he had a gun. Police said he went to the side of the road to investigate the man sitting in the grass.
Prince George County Police Chief Hank Stavinsky resigned in June after being published by the American Civil Liberties Union. A comprehensive report Documentation of routes being discriminated against by the department with black and brown police officers. In response to the report, the county also formed a task force to review other aspects of policing, such as the use of force.
As part of the settlement, the Green family will be invited to address the Police Reform Working Group, which is helping guide the search for a new police chief, according to the county.
The figure of 20 million settlement in cases involving police misconduct is not without precedent. Last year, for example, the city of Minneapolis offered નિ 20 million to the family of an unarmed Australian Australian woman who called 911 to report to police that she was being assaulted. According to law firm Murphy, Falcon and Murphy, who represent the Green Family, the figure still makes it the largest in Maryland history and the third largest in the country.
