MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The family of a black man who was killed by Minneapolis police in 2015 in a case that triggered mass protests reached a tentative $200,000 settlement with the city Thursday.
David Suro, the lawyer for Jamar Clark’s father, told the Star Tribune the settlement was reached Thursday afternoon after closed-door mediation and that the family was satisfied with the amount.
“What this family really wanted wasn’t money,” Suro said. “They would like to see some accountability.”
But Suro said the family came to understand that systemic changes to police training weren’t possible through the courts.
City Attorney Susan Segal declined to comment, and the deal still requires City Council approval. The council is expected to discuss the proposal in a closed session later this month, then vote in a separate open session.
The council previously rejected an unspecified five-figure settlement with Clark’s family because it was too low. That vote came the same day in May that the council approved a $20 million settlement with the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a white Australian-born woman who was fatally shot by a black police officer in 2017 after calling 911 to report a possible rape behind her house. The officer, Mohamed Noor, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in a case that attracted worldwide attention. Critics called the case an example of a racial double standard in the justice system.
Clark’s death during a struggle with two white officers led to weeks of round-the-clock protests outside a nearby police station. Prosecutors concluded that neither officer deserved to face criminal charges, and the department declined to discipline them.
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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
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