The city of Los Angeles will pay nearly $40 million to settle three lawsuits alleging abuse of power by the LAPD, including one brought by the family of a Trader Joe’s manager who was accidentally killed by a police officer who fired at a fleeing suspect.

Melyda “Mely” Corado was shot and killed in the Silver Lake store where she worked in 2018. Her father and brother sued the city and the officers involved in the shooting, claiming they recklessly opened fire into the crowded store.

The $9.5 million settlement with the Corado family, which had been previously negotiated but not disclosed, was the smallest of three payments approved by the City Council on Friday.

The others were:

• $17.7 million for the family of Kenneth French, a 32-year-old mentally disabled man who was shot and killed by an off-duty LAPD officer at a Costco store in Corona in June 2019.
• $11.8 million for James Simpson, who suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was struck by a fallen traffic light pole. The accident was caused by an LAPD detective who failed to obey a red light.

The Council unanimously approved all three settlements.

In a statement released through her lawyers, Corado’s family members said they would “always keep her memory alive.”

“Nothing will bring Mely back to us and we are forever heartbroken over her violent death caused by those who are supposed to protect and serve the community,” the statement said. “We hope this settlement sends a strong message to the LAPD and all law enforcement agencies across the country that officers must consider their surroundings when firing their weapons.”

The family’s lawyers called the settlement the largest out-of-court settlement in an LAPD shooting case.

“Mely’s death was entirely preventable had the officers followed their training and considered her background when shooting,” said attorney Neil Gehlawat. “Officers must consider the dangers faced by bystanders when using deadly force, and the officers here failed to do so.”

Corado was shot and killed on July 21, 2018, as two LAPD officers pursued Gene Evin Atkins, who was suspected of shooting his grandmother and girlfriend and taking the younger woman hostage. Atkins led police on a long chase in his grandmother’s car, during which he shot at officers, ran red lights and collided with several vehicles, prosecutors alleged.

The chase ended at Trader Joe’s on Hyperion Avenue. Atkins stopped the car and ran into the store, which was crowded with Saturday afternoon shoppers.

Atkins fired at the police officers, who returned fire as he entered the store. One of the officer’s bullets struck Corado, killing her. Atkins was wounded in the arm, but he held customers and employees hostage in the store for three hours before surrendering. His trial is pending.

The LAPD was heavily criticized for the shooting of a bystander, with then-police chief Michel Moore describing it as “every cop’s worst nightmare.”

In French’s case, the $17.7 million award is roughly the same as the amount a federal court jury awarded in 2021 after finding that police officer Salvador Sanchez used excessive and unreasonable force. Sanchez, who was later fired, was off-duty when he and French got into an altercation in a line to try hot dogs.

Sanchez’s attorney claimed during the federal trial that he was knocked to the ground during the altercation and believed French was armed. Sanchez’s shots killed French and injured his mother and father.

The Los Angeles Police Commission concluded that Sanchez violated department policy. Sanchez was also charged with manslaughter and assault, but the prosecution ended in a mistrial earlier this year. A call to the French family’s attorney went unanswered Friday.

Simpson sued the city after he suffered numerous injuries when LAPD Det. Alex Pozo ran a red light in Chino in August 2020, driving a city-owned vehicle. The driver of an SUV swerved to avoid a collision with Pozo and struck a traffic pole, which fell on Simpson, 70, as he walked on the sidewalk.

The City Council has not approved a settlement for an LAPD sergeant who sued after being repeatedly disciplined for controversial posts on his personal Facebook and Instagram accounts. The sergeant, Joel Sydanmaa, accused the LAPD of targeting him for expressing political views they disliked.

“We rejected their proposal and asked them to go to court,” said Councilman Bob Blumenfield.

Sydanmaa’s attorney Caleb Mason expressed his “disappointment” that the city administration had apparently backed away from what he called a signed settlement.

“My client waited three and a half years for a trial date and then agreed to cancel the trial two weeks before the trial based on the testimony of high-ranking officials in the city attorney’s office – he trusted them,” Mason said.

Friday’s payouts add to the more than $171 million in taxpayer money spent since 2019 to settle legal claims accusing the LAPD of wrongful death, excessive use of force, negligence, discrimination and more, according to documents from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

That sum could rise as the city has appealed several large damages awards, including the $4 million a jury awarded to then-LAPD Captain Lillian Carranza, who sued for using a nude photo that had been doctored to resemble her and shared with colleagues.