LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The city of Gardena will pay $1.3 million to the child of a Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2018, attorneys announced today.
Kenneth Ross Jr., 25, was shot twice as he attempted to elude Gardena police at Rowley Memorial Park on April 11, 2018. Officers were responding to reports that he fired several shots from a handgun at a nearby business, according to various reports.
Ross' death spurred lawmakers to enact the Kenneth Ross Jr. Decertification Act, which aims to increase accountability for law enforcement officers who commit serious misconduct and violate a person's civil rights.
The District Attorney's Office released a report in 2019 that found the officer who fired the fatal shots had acted in self-defense when Ross appeared to turn toward the approaching lawman. A loaded 9-millimeter gun was taken from Ross' pocket by paramedics as they were loading him into an ambulance, according to the report.
Ross' family alleged that Ross was not posing a threat when he was shot.
Attorneys Carl Douglas and Jamon Hicks announced the settlement with Ross' 8-year-old son. Ross' parents also settled separately with the city for lesser amounts.
The city of Gardena did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement, the attorneys said.
A message to the Gardena City Attorney's Office seeking comment was not immediately answered.