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3 officer-involved shooting settlements approved by LA City Council
Brendon Glenn was fatally shot by LAPD officers May 5, 2015. A friend created a T-shirt with his image the next day.
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Frank Stoltze/KPCC
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The family of an unarmed man shot and killed by police in May 2015 in Venice will receive $4 million after the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a settlement of a federal lawsuit. Earlier this year, L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck recommended prosecutors file criminal charges against the officer involved in the shooting, while the L.A. Police Commission found the officer's use of lethal force to be outside the scope of department policy.
Police shot and killed 29-year-old Brendon Glenn in May 2015 after two officers responded to a 911 call about a man arguing with a bouncer from the Townhouse bar and hassling passers-by. The officers were trying to detain Glenn when the shooting occurred.
The settlement with Glenn's family was one of three settlements related to officer-involved shootings by L.A. Police Department officers that the Council unanimously approved on Tuesday.
One pertained to a January 2011 officer-involved shooting that killed Reginald Doucet Jr. in Playa Vista, which was settled for $1.65 million, the L.A. City Attorney's Office told KPCC. The other settlement was with the family of Sergio Navas, who was shot and killed in March 2015, for $2.5 million. The City Attorney's Office declined to comment.
The settlement with Glenn's family came after federal and state lawsuits were filed last February.
Earlier this month, after court paperwork was filed announcing the settlement, V. James DeSimone, the attorney who represented Glenn's mother Sheryn Camprone, told KPCC, "While no amount of money would have compensated [Glenn's family] for the loss of this son and father ... it was important to bring closure so they didn't have to go through what would have been a contentious and painful trial."
When reached for comment Tuesday, DeSimone said that he was happy with the settlement.
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Half of the settlement will go to Glenn's 4-year-old son Avery, DeSimone said, while the rest will go to Glenn's parents. A hearing to finalize Avery's money being used as an annuity is set for Friday, and Avery will begin receiving the money in small regular increments once he turns 18.
DeSimone said he hopes Glenn’s son can use the money to go to college and support himself financially.
A hearing in the state lawsuit is scheduled for Dec. 16, according to court records. It is not immediately clear if this lawsuit will proceed.
Glenn was standing on a sidewalk outside a Venice bar when the doorman told him to move on. The two then came into physical contact, the lawsuits state. Glenn started to leave when officers confronted and grabbed Glenn. They gave no verbal command or warning before he was shot, according to court records.
Glenn struggled with the officers as they arrested him, according to court records. Officer Clifford Proctor told investigators Glenn also grabbed for his partner's holster.
That claim was contradicted by Proctor's partner and by video footage, and investigators concluded Glenn was trying to push himself up when Proctor shot him twice in the back, at a range of one foot, six inches, killing him.
The settlement was easily reached, DeSimone said, after the LAPD released video of Glenn’s shooting.
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“We think it’s very important for the public to have an understanding of why this is such a bad shooting,” DeSimone said. “And to encourage things to be put in place to make sure this type of tragedy doesn’t happen again.”
The L.A. County District Attorney's Office investigation into whether criminal charges are warranted continues, spokesman Greg Risling said via email Friday afternoon.
A KPCC analysis published last year found the DA's office hasn't charged a law enforcement officer in L.A. County with criminal charges related to an on-duty shooting since 2000. In that case, former LAPD officer Ron Orosco was charged with assault and sentenced to five years in prison.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3230989-conditional-settlement-in-officer-involved.html
This story has been updated.
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