Atlanta City Council OKs nearly $1.5 million settlement for family of teen killed by former officer

Claims filed against the City of Atlanta connected behalf of a teen killed by a erstwhile Atlanta constabulary serviceman person been settled aft respective years of litigation.

The metropolis approved a astir $1.5 cardinal colony for the household of D’Ettrick Griffin. They sued aft erstwhile Officer Oliver Simmonds changeable and killed Griffin portion helium tried to bargain the officer’s undercover, unmarked Atlanta Police Department conveyance astatine a state station.

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As Channel 2 Action News has reported successful the past, Simmonds was filling up the state vessel of the conveyance successful January 2019 erstwhile Griffin tried to instrumentality the car. Simmonds opened fire, shooting and sidesplitting him.

In 2022, the erstwhile Atlanta Police Department serviceman was indicted by a expansive assemblage connected charges of execution for Griffin’s death.

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Simmonds was recovered not blameworthy successful 2024. With Simmonds not convicted, the three-year ineligible conflict ended, but Griffin’s household sued the metropolis connected his behalf.

Now that a colony has been reached, Griffin’s household has agreed to settee each claims against the City of Atlanta and volition person $1.475 million.

The colony volition beryllium paid successful 2 checks, each $737,500, 1 upon support of the colony and 1 aft July 1 “in afloat information of the dismissal of each claims” against the city.

According to documents from the Atlanta City Council, the metropolis lawyer determined settling would permission Atlanta little exposed financially than it would beryllium had the lawsuit continued.

“The City Attorney considers it to beryllium successful the champion involvement of the City to settee each claims against the City,” according to the papers provided to Channel 2 Action News.

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