The father of a 25-year-old Pacoima man who was fatally shot in his driveway by a Los Angeles Police Department officer is set to receive the majority of a $2 million settlement from the city but will be left to “always live with the loss of his son,” the family’s attorney said.
The City Council on Wednesday approved the $2 million amount, which includes $1.43 million for the jury’s judgment, accrued interest, attorney fees and other costs, according to Rob Wilcox, spokesman for the city attorney’s office.
The $2 million settlement stems from a lawsuit filed on behalf of Greg Eaddy, the father of Christian Eaddy, an African-American man who was shot and killed in 2013 after officers responded to a call by a family member saying he was exhibiting suicidal behavior.
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The LAPD chief found the fatal police shooting to be justified under department policy, and the Los Angeles County district attorney also declined to pursue charges following its own investigation.
In August a jury awarded the family $2.2 million but found the city liable for only $1.4 million, saying Eaddy was partly responsible for the incident. The jury also found that Eaddy’s civil rights were violated by the officer, Christopher Carr.
At the time the settlement was reached, cross-appeals were pending, Wilcox said.
John Taylor, the family’s attorney, said the father “is happy that the legal process has now ended and the city has recognized and respects the jury’s verdict,” adding that he “will always live with the loss of his son.”
Eaddy’s mother had also been a plaintiff in the lawsuit, but died last year.
The City Council voted 14-0 to approve the $2 million amount and to have the city pay half this fiscal year and the rest next year.
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The shooting happened about 2:15 p.m. on May 16, 2013, in the 13000 block of Corcoran Street, after a cousin called 911 reporting that Eaddy was sticking himself with syringes and was armed with two knives.
Police said Eaddy refused commands to drop the knives and continued to approach the officers before one used a stun gun on him and another shot him.
Another cousin, however, said Eaddy was 3 feet away from the officers when he dropped the knives and was shot, according to county prosecutors investigating the case.
Attorneys for Greg Eaddy argued that his son’s life could have been spared had Carr and Officer Fernando Avila showed better judgment and made sound tactical decisions, such as waiting for other officers already on their way to the scene.
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The plaintiff’s attorneys also argued that Christian Eaddy had placed the two knives in a shopping cart in the driveway of his home before Carr shot him.
Attorneys for the city argued that prior to the fatal shooting, Avila fired a stun gun at the suspect, and that Carr used justifiable deadly force because Eaddy was charging at him with both knives.
City News Service contributed to this report.
