Associated Press
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — A federal civil rights lawsuit brought by the family of a black teenager killed by a white Pennsylvania police officer has been settled for $2 million, a newspaper reported.
A federal judge Tuesday approved dismissal of the suit against the city of East Pittsburgh and earlier did the same for a suit against the former officer. Federal court documents don’t include details about settlements or payment amounts, but Allegheny County court records for the teenager’s estate include the settlement amount, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Family attorneys declined comment, saying the documents speak for themselves.
Authorities said 17-year-old Antwon Rose was shot after bolting from a car during a June 2018 traffic stop. Ex-officer Michael Rosfeld, who said he thought Rose or another suspect had a gun pointed at him, was acquitted of homicide in March. Rose was unarmed but had a gun clip in his pocket. Protests followed both shooting and verdict.
The teenager’s parents, Michelle Kenney and Antwon Rose Sr., contended in their suit that Rosfeld had no reason to fire, that he acted out of racial bias and that he wasn’t properly trained. The former officer’s lawyers said he was conducting a felony traffic stop following a drive-by shooting when the youth fled with his arm extended as if he had a gun. The officer fired three times, killing him.
The law firms who represented the teenager’s parents will receive $400,000 each as well as reimbursement costs, while the remaining $1.1 million will go to Antwon’s estate, the Post-Gazette reported