Los Angeles to pay $9.5 million for woman’s death in 2018 shootout between police and gunman
LOS ANGELES — The city of Los Angeles will pay $9.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by relatives of a Woman fatally shot by Los Angeles police in a shootout with a gunman at a Trader Joe’s store six years ago, family attorneys said Friday.
The father and the 27-year-old brother Melyda Corado filed a lawsuit in November 2018, alleging civil rights violations and wrongful death.
On July 21, 2018, Corado was an assistant manager at the Silver Lake Neighborhood Store when a gunman, being chased by police, was involved in a shootout as he ran inside. Police said Corado was caught in the crossfire.
Investigators say the gunman shot his grandmother and kidnapped his girlfriend. He took dozens of people hostage in the store but later surrendered.
Neil Gehlawat, a lawyer for Corado’s family, said his death could have been prevented if officers had followed their training.
“Officers must consider the dangers posed to bystanders when using deadly force, and the officers here failed to do so,” Gehlawat said in a statement.
The city attorney’s office did not immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment on the settlement.
The Los Angeles Police Commission has determined which officer fired the fatal shot did not violate police department policyAccording to a report, officers acted reasonably because they believed the shooter posed an immediate threat of injury or death.
