officers - The Black Vault

I time
•
(Mount Clipping k1 Space Below)
/kiiig-Rejecisl
/City Offer of :
$1.75 Million:
I
• Police: Council makes
bid after turning down a
settlement of $5.9 million
sought by beating victim.
King's lawyer says he will
take case to trial.
! By GREG KRIKORIAN
l ~~:~:~:~:,~:~:~~settle
the police brutality lawsuit
brought by Rodney G. King, the
Los Angeles City Council voted
Tuesday to guarantee him at least
$1.75 million, but King's attorney
blasted the proposal and vowed to
take the civil case to trial.
After meeting in closed-door
session for nearly an hour, the
council rejected an earlier $5.9-
milliort settlement sought by King.
·~ Instead, coun~il members offered
to award him a lump sum of I
i $250,000 and establish an invest- .
1 ment fund that would pay him
; $75,000 annually for the rest of his ,
I life.
i Should he die early, the heirs of
: 27-year-old King would be assured
. payment for 20 years, amounting to '
I $1.75 million.
I "Some people might think that ,
1
was not enough and others migh\ .
I think it was too much," said Coun- ~
cilman Zev Yaroslavsky. "We:
, think it's a generous and fair 1
offer-generous to Mr. King and i
fair-to the taxpayers."
i
However, Ring-.s Iaw.yer, "Steven 1
A. Lerman, accused the City Coun- :
I cil of showing disregard for hi~ :
i client and countless other police '
abuse victims who seek compensa- I
i tion for their injuries. He said he ,
was particularly angry that the ,
·. council rejected the proposed $5.9- !
million settlement to his federal •
· civil rights lawsuit, which he said :
was agreed to by his office and the :
city attorney after l