NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – The city of North Charleston in South Carolina has reached a $6.5 million settlement with the family of a black motorist who was shot and killed earlier this year by a white police officer.
The attorneys who negotiated the settlement between the city and the family of Walter Scott say the way the situation has been handled is a model for the nation. In other cities, the deaths of blacks at the hands of law enforcement officers have been met with violence.
After Scott’s death in April, his family called for calm. And within days, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey contacted the family about reaching a settlement.
Attorneys worked on the settlement for months; the North Charleston City Council approved it by a 10-0 vote on Thursday night.