PHOENIX — It's a deadly shooting that ended in six seconds. 34-year-old Ali Osman was shot and killed by Phoenix police officers in September 2022.
The Phoenix Police Department said Osman was throwing rocks at cars driving on 19th Avenue just south of Glendale Avenue when a police cruiser drove by and was also hit.
Two officers confronted Osman and told him to stop, but Osman didn't listen and continued. It eventually ended with multiple gunshots fired by those officers.
More than a year later, the Phoenix City Council, in a 6-1 decision, voted to pay the parents of Osman $5.5 million in a settlement.
A spokesperson for the city said the money will be paid out of the city's annual budget.
“Without an admission of guilt, I think the city council did the right thing,” said attorney Quacy Smith, who was representing the family.
Within two hours of the council's decision, Smith held a press conference to talk about the decision.
The Osman family was not in attendance but Smith said the decision for them is bittersweet.
"They would in every way prefer to have Ali here with them,” Smith said.
The family has previously said Osman suffered from mental health issues. While they don't condone what he did, they do not believe it should have ended with his life taken.
"We do stand firmly on the principle that authority should never be given without accountability," Smith said.
The two officers involved in the shooting are not facing any charges. Maricopa County attorney Rachel Mitchell said Wednesday she did not feel it was appropriate to charge the officers criminally in the matter, given the officers felt their lives were in danger.
While Smith disagrees, he is relieved and also surprised with how quickly the city agreed to the settlement. The family originally sued for $85 million.
Moving forward, Smith believes this will bring a sense of relief to the Osman family and also shows the city is taking measures to prevent shootings like this from happening.
“I think the larger message today is, is that the city council understands that we have to fix this,” Smith said.
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