Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Litigation Settlement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board of Estimates approves $250,000 settlement in shooting-linked lawsuit
Summary
The Board of Estimates approved a $250,000 settlement for an employee shot by police during an armed incident inside a Compare Foods store on Jan. 30, 2021; the law department cited litigation risk and investigative findings.
The Board of Estimates on Aug. 6 approved a $250,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by an employee who was wounded during a Jan. 30, 2021, armed incident at a Compare Foods store in the Alameda.
Deputy Solicitor Stephen Salisbury of the Law Department told the board the employee filed suit alleging negligence by the responding officer after the employee was shot while sheltering in an office during an active-shooter response. Salisbury said the responding officer returned fire after the armed suspect fired first; the officer later mistakenly fired two shots, one striking the employee in the bicep. Salisbury said the suspect later died in a shootout with other law enforcement officers.
The law department recommended the settlement because of the litigation risks and the factual circumstances that could be presented to a jury. Comptroller Bill Henry asked whether any disciplinary action had been taken against the officer; Salisbury said there was no disciplinary action related to this incident and that the officer is no longer employed by the city, though the departure was not disciplinary. Salisbury also said his office would confirm whether the officer had prior use-of-force issues.
A motion to approve the settlement was made and seconded; the board approved the item by voice vote. The clerk’s opening remarks referenced this item as SB2512636 and listed the related case number as 24C230005483.
The settlement approval resolves civil claims brought by the employee who was struck while entering the office during the incident. The board did not discuss any additional disciplinary or policy changes tied to the settlement during the public discussion.
