The city of Los Angeles will pay $9.5 million to settle a lawsuit by relatives of a woman fatally shot by police during a shootout with a gunman at a Trader Joe’s store six years ago. The father and brother of Melvda Corado sued in November 2018, alleging civil rights violations and wrongful death, the Associated Press reports. Corado was an assistant manager at the store when a gunman, who was being chased by police, got into a shootout as he ran inside. Police said Corado was caught in the crossfire.
Investigators said the gunman had shot his grandmother and kidnapped his girlfriend. He took dozens of people hostage in the store before surrendering. Neil Gehlawat, an attorney for Corado’s family, said her death was preventable if the officers had followed their training. .“Officers must look at the dangers posed to bystanders when using deadly force, and the officers here failed to do that,” Gehlawat said. The Los Angeles Police Commission determined the officer who fired the fatal shot didn't violate police department policy. A report said officers acted reasonably because they believed the gunman presented an immediate threat of injury or death.
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