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City agrees to $1.8M settlement in Philly death

Abebe Isaac died in 2008 when police tried to arrest a man

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — The city of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of a bystander fatally shot when a police officer fired at an armed suspect who ran into a house during a New Year’s party.

Abebe Isaac died Jan. 8, 2008, after he was struck in the face by a bullet in the city’s East Germantown neighborhood when police tried to arrest a man they had seen firing a gun into the air.

Two other bystanders were wounded, including a 9-year-old boy.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports a settlement was reached last month but still needs to be approved by a judge. The city solicitor asked council to move money into a legal settlement fund on Wednesday.

The district attorney’s office cleared the officer of wrongdoing.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press