A federal jury has awarded a $3 million settlement to the family of a 19-year-old Black man who was shot by police officers in 2019, which resulted in his death.
The boy's death resulted in protests against the excessive force used by police and also instigated a new set of police accountability laws in Colorado. The family filed the lawsuit with allegations of racial bias in policing, civil rights violations and wrongful death.
As per the footage of the police body camera, the police officers were talking to the boy and another man about an armed robbery that was reported in southeast Colorado Springs. The boy ran as the officers were about to search him. The recording even shows that one of the police officers was yelling "Hands up!" before shooting at the boy.
The police officers said that they shot the boy as they feared that he might have been reaching for a gun while running. As per the investigating officers' reports, the body-cam footage disclosed that the police officers removed a pistol from his pocket after being shot and was handcuffed.
The mother of the boy said that she is heartbroken after the death of her son and hopes that the changes in the Colorado Springs Police Department will prevent further such incidences.
A state grand jury, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office thoroughly reviewed the case and concluded that the police officers involved in the case should not be charged with any criminal act.
