City Of Austin Reaches Settlement With Former Officer Who Fatally Shot Teen [VIDEO]

AUSTIN, TX — City officials have reached a settlement centered on the firing of a police officer who fatally shot an unarmed, unclothed teenager in February he said had charged at him during an arrest attempt, according to a published report.

The Austin American-Statesman reported the city has agreed to pay fired officer Geoffrey Freeman $35,000. In return, the former officer waives his right to arbitration and agrees not to file future claims. An appeals hearing that had been scheduled for Monday is now cancelled as a result of the agreement, the newspaper reported.

Former Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo (who has since accepted the same job in Houston) fired Freeman for what he deemed to have been use of excessive force. David Joseph, 17, was reported to be wandering the streets in North Austin while naked and in a state of obvious confusion when Freeman arrived to the scene.

In a dashcam video of the encounter, Joseph is seen running past the officer despite commands to stop but Freeman said the teen was charging at him. The former officer shot the teenager, killing him, later saying he feared for his life.

A mix of Xanax and marijuana was later found in the dead teenager's blood system. A Travis County grand jury subsequently declined to indict the former police officer.

“There are no good outcomes when our community experiences such pain,” Interim City Manager Elaine Hart said in a prepared statement. “While I believe the city would prevail in the Civil Service Appeal Hearing, this settlement eliminates any possibility that Mr. Freeman could return to APD.”

As part of the agreement, Freeman will never be able to return to the Austin Police Department in any capacity in the future. Below is the dashcam video of the incident:

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

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