The parents of a mentally ill man who was shot and killed by Los Angeles police officers in 2014 have settled their wrongful death and state civil rights lawsuit with the city, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Attorneys for the parents of Ezell Ford and the city of Los Angeles reportedly reached a tentative settlement Oct. 21. The terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed, the Times notes. According to the report, however, the settlement will not be finalized until it is approved by the City Council.
“Without their approval, there is no settlement,” one of the attorneys representing Ford's family, Boris Treyzon, said.
Ford was shot and killed Aug. 11, 2014, while walking near his family's South Los Angeles home at around 8 p.m. The 25-year-old had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. When LAPD Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas left their squad car and tried to speak to him, Ford reportedly looked at the officers before walking away and apparently trying to hide his hands near his waistband, police said.
The officers continued to follow Ford to a driveway, where he hid near a car and bushes. An officer reached for Ford, who then apparently forced the officer to the ground, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said. Officer Wampler said that Ford tried to grab his weapon. Officer Villegas fired two shots at Ford, while Wampler used a secondary gun to shoot Ford in the back.
Ford died two hours later in the hospital; his death sparked protests around the nation.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.