LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- The city of Little Rock settled a lawsuit on Friday stemming from a 2010 officer involved shooting that left one man dead inside his home.
The case divided many in the community for more than five years. Many ask if officers Donna Lesher and Tabitha McCrillis should have entered 67-year-old Eugene Ellison's Asher Avenue Apartment that cold December night.
According to police reports from December 2010, the two female LRPD officers were working security at the Chateau Apartments when they noticed an open door.
An altercation ensued and one of the officers shot Ellison twice in the chest, killing him.
His family sued the city and the officers for wrongful death, but the officers were later cleared of any wrongdoing. The Ellison family then took the case to federal court.
The trial was set to begin Monday, but was settled on Friday afternoon for what the family calls ‘well over a million dollars.’
City Attorney Tom Carpenter and City Manager, Bruce Moore, said in a statement in part,
"Because of the possibility of continued litigation in the court system, all parties decided this resolution was in the best interests of everyone involved. There is no doubt that this incident is a tragedy that has deeply affected many in Little Rock. The agreement allows the community, the families and the Little Rock Police Department to move forward and begin to heal."
The official apology the city has promised as well as the park bench bearing Mr. Ellison's name and the official ceremony are positive steps toward healing the community.
