The Fresno Police Department paid $2.2 million to the parents of Jaime Reyes, Jr., who was shot in the back as he fled police. Police recovered an unloaded stolen gun, wrapped in a plastic bag in his pocket. In addition to compensation, the FPD agreed to change its Use of Force and Shooting policies to only allow officers to shoot when they are confronted by an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury. Previously, officers were permitted to kill someone who they thought could pose a potential threat in the future. All patrol staff and investigators also must receive additional training to prevent similar tragedies. Investigators also will be retrained to consider witness statements that contradict officers’ statements, rather than just assuming that whatever the officer says is true. This hard-fought case took four years of work by Haddad & Sherwin to win and to begin to change the way the Fresno Police Department handles deadly force.
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