Los Angeles to Pay $5 Million to Settle Police Shooting Suit

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a $5-million settlement with the family of an unarmed National Guard veteran killed on live television in a barrage of gunfire at the end of a wild police pursuit last year in downtown L.A.

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August 21, 2014

Los Angeles to Pay $5 Million to Settle Police Shooting Suit — Brian Newt Beaird, 51, of Oceanside, Calif., was shot and killed following a pursuit that ended in a violent crash. (Photo: California DMV)

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The proposed payout is the largest settlement the city has made in a fatal police shooting case in at least a decade and comes after Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck raised concerns about the officers' tactics, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Brian Newt Beaird, 51, led police on a dangerous pursuit around southeast L.A. and downtown L.A. on the night of Dec. 13, weaving in and out of traffic in his Corvette at a high rate of speed. He was shot after he crashed into another vehicle in downtown L.A. and staggered out of the sports car.

Topics:Lawsuits Vehicle Pursuits LAPD Officer-Involved Shootings California agencies Point of Law Patrol

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