The family of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man who was shot and killed by police in 2020, will receive $1 million from the city of Atlanta to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.
The Atlanta City Council voted unanimously on Monday to issue the payment to Brooks' widow. The move came about two years after Brooks was shot and killed during a struggle with officers during an attempted arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Garrett Rolfe, the officer who fatally shot Brooks, was fired from the force the day after the shooting. Erika Shields, the police chief at the time, eventually resigned.
"The city attorney has done an extensive review of the facts on the law and has determined that the city of Atlanta's potential financial exposure in defending plaintiff's claims is in excess of the settlement amount," Councilman Dustin Hillis said in a statement after the meeting to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Although the then-District Attorney of Fulton County announced criminal charges against Rolfe and Devin Brosnan, the other officer involved in the arrest, that decision was later reversed by a special prosecutor.
"This grieving family has been through so much during this process. Although the children of Mr. Brooks have lost their father, settling the case will undoubtedly assist them with future plans as they come of age," attorneys for the Brooks family said in a statement.
"While we are disappointed that prosecutors didn't pursue a criminal case against the officers involved in Mr. Brooks' death, we continue to hold out hope that the Dept. of Justice will intervene in this matter. We look forward to the city of Atlanta continuing to work hard to build a bridge between law enforcement and members of our community."
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