The city council of Atlanta has approved a $1 million settlement for the family of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in a Wendy's parking lot in 2020, according to attorneys for the family.
According to a council spokesperson, the settlement was approved by the city council by a vote of 15-0. In a statement, the family's attorneys expressed disappointment that prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges against the officers, but they remain hopeful that the Justice Department will intervene.
According to the statement, the impacted family is glad to have achieved a settlement with the city of Atlanta that concludes their civil action. Although the children of the deceased have lost their father, settling the case will definitely assist them with future plans as they come of age.
Officers from the Atlanta Police Department were summoned to the incident in June 2020 after the guy fell asleep in his car at Wendy's and spoke with him for around 40 minutes. The cops attempted to arrest him after he failed a sobriety test. He took one of their Tasers and discharged it as he ran before being shot during the videotaped altercation.
Following the event, Atlanta's police chief resigned, and the officer who shot Brooks was dismissed. However, the Atlanta Civil Service Board eventually overturned the officer's dismissal after discovering that the city had failed to follow its own disciplinary processes.
In September 2021, the dead man's wife filed a wrongful death case. The city attorney has conducted a thorough review of the facts and the law and determined that the city of Atlanta's potential financial exposure in defending the plaintiff's claims exceeds the settlement amount.
