LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — According to court records, an informal settlement has been reached between the family of Bradley Blackshire and the City of Little Rock.
Blackshire was a 29-year-old who was shot and killed by former Little Rock Police Officer Charles Starks in February 2019 during a traffic stop.
"Former Little Rock Police Department Officer Starks’ fatal actions — and the municipal policies and practices that precipitated them — have caused unspeakable grief, which has only been exacerbated by the machinations of a callous legal process," said Omavi Shuku, Practitioner-in-Residence at the Initiative for a Just Society.
The shooting was ruled justified by the prosecutor, which sparked multiple protests across the city.
“The Blackshire family have lost a son, brother, father, and deeply loved family member. We cannot ever forget that," said attorney David B. Owens. "This settlement is an important step forward; it includes small steps to begin the process of reform within the Little Rock Police Department. Those steps are just the beginning, however, as we work to eradicate a culture of violence in policing.”
Starks was fired from the police department, but a judge ordered the city to reinstate him in early 2020. However, the Arkansas Court of Appeals reversed that decision in September 2021.
The exact amount of the settlement hasn't been reached at this time.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.