The Los Angeles City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by family members of a disabled veteran who was fatally shot by Los Angeles police after a high-speed pursuit.
The family of 51-year-old Brian Beaird filed a wrongful death suit in May, seeking $20 million in damages.
Beaird, a National Guard veteran of eight years, swerved and sped through South Los Angeles into downtown LA in a Corvette for more than a hour on Dec. 13, 2013, before T-boning another car in an intersection. When Beaird got out of the Corvette, he appeared to be walking away from officers with his hands up when he was shot.
Beaird died at a hospital about 45 minutes after the chase ended, officials said.
The council voted 12-2 in closed session Wednesday to approve the $5 million settlement, with Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Mitch Englander dissenting. Councilman Bernard Parks was absent.
"It's very unfortunate on everyone's part, on the driver's part, and the officers involved," said Buscaino, a former Los Angeles police officer. "In this case, you had a pursuit that lasted a long time, involved three agencies, and I felt that there's an opportunity to proceed and challenge the case."
An attorney for Beaird's family was not immediately available for comment.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said after the shooting that three officers fired between 15 and 20 bullets.
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Beaird’s father, Bill, said he was on the phone with his son while he was being pursued. He advised Brian to stop before seeing the shooting on TV.
"I’ve seen a lot, but nothing has affected me like this," Bill Beaird said during a news conference in December 2013. "I just can’t seem to get over this."
The Beaird family filed another $20 million claim against the city in December 2013.
