Spokane City Council approves $3.655 million settlement in Robert Bradley case

The Spokane City Council on a 4-2 vote approved a $3,655,000 settlement in the civil case brought by the estate of Robert Bradley, with the city's excess insurer, Safety National Insurance, covering the full settlement and the city paying $222,123.21 toward its self-insured retention.

The measure, Resolution 2025-0054, directs Safety National to pay the settlement amount in exchange for a release of all claims and dismissal of the pending lawsuit. The council took the vote after several members of the public, advocacy groups and relatives of people killed by police spoke during public comment.

Anwar Peace, City of Spokane human rights commissioner and a member of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, urged support for the settlement and called for accountability. "I fully support the Bradley settlement," Peace said, adding the city had handled similar cases previously and raising concerns about repetitive patterns involving some officers.

Jim Leedy, executive director of Citizen 926 and a representative of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, also supported the settlement while demanding accountability for officers involved. "We need accountability. We need justice. They are not getting justice," Leedy said, describing what he characterized as a pattern of repeated shootings involving particular officers.

Other speakers raised questions about the timing of judicial orders and the conduct of officers during the encounter. Dennis Flynn said he wanted more context before drawing final conclusions about tactics used in the contact that led to Bradley's death.

Council members did not debate the settlement at length during the legislative agenda; the measure moved to a roll-call vote and passed 4 to 2. The record shows the council voted to accept the terms negotiated with Safety National and to authorize payment of the city's self-insured retention portion.

The resolution does not change any pending internal or external investigations; it resolves the civil claims by the estate through settlement. The record before council identifies the settlement amount and the city's self-insured retention payment amount but does not include changes to department policy or disciplinary outcomes within the police department.

Public commenters invited the community to further discussion and events on police accountability; the Human Rights Commission publicized a separate community conversation on reimagining public safety scheduled for July 30.