BART settles with (Oscar) Grant's mother for $1.3 million

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(06-28) 14:59 PDT OAKLAND -- BART agreed today to pay $1.3 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the mother of Oscar Grant, the unarmed train rider who was shot in the back by a transit agency police officer on New Year's Day 2009, attorneys said.

The settlement with Wanda Johnson, which includes no admission of fault by BART or any of the officers she sued, was reached at about 12:30 p.m. after four hours of negotiation supervised by Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

It closes another chapter in a case that prompted protests and riots, ushered in reforms on the BART police force and led to the involuntary manslaughter conviction of former BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, who was recently released after serving half of a two-year prison term.

"I think it was a good settlement," said Johnson's attorney, John Burris. "All of the parties worked extraordinarily hard, and this is a good way to bring closure to the family. It was emotionally draining, and this allows them to look forward and build on the legacy of Oscar Grant."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/28/MN281K3NTO.DTL

After attorney fees and taxes, that like 500k?

And BART admits no wrongdoing?? If it wasn't for the fact that a girl recorded most of the incident on her phone, the transit cops could have created any story to "explain" the shooting and covered it up...

that needs to go to the Supreme Court before another single person is shot or killed while people sit by afraid to record the perpetrator(s) in action