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Tempe City Council approves $2 million settlement for family of teen shot by police

14-year-old Antonio Arce was shot by a Tempe police officer in January 2019.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The above video is from January 2020 coverage of  Arce's family's claim against the City of Tempe.

Tempe City Council unanimously approved a multi-million dollar settlement to the parents of a teen shot and killed by an officer last year Thursday night.

The $2 million settlement agreement with Sandra Gonzalez and Juan Antonio Arce, the parents of Antonio Arce, was approved by a vote of 7-0.

A statement from city leaders says the settlement agreement includes a provision that the family cannot sue the city for any other claims related to the shooting. 

Antonio Arce was shot and killed by former Tempe police officer Joseph Jaen on January 15, 2019. 

PREVIOUS: 14-year-old boy's shooting death by former Tempe officer ruled as homicide, medical examiner finds

Police said they responded to a call of a suspicious car in an alley near 48th Street and Baseline Road just after 2:30 p.m. Jaen reportedly saw Arce inside a pickup truck parked in the alley. 

Credit: Tempe Police Department
Joseph Jaen

Body camera video released by police shows the boy exiting the truck and running away, and Jaen chasing after him. Jaen shot twice at Arce from at least 114 feet away, striking him once in the shoulder. The boy continued to run but collapsed on a street just outside the alleyway. 

Investigators say they found a fake gun in the teen's possession. 

PREVIOUS: Tempe police show new video of fatally shot 14-year-old possessing fake gun

The officer "perceived a threat and fired his service weapon striking the suspect," police said at the time.

Jaen resigned from the department about four months after the shooting. No charges were brought against the former officer.

According to an Instagram post, a demonstration by Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro was planned at 8 p.m. following the regular budget meeting. The group is holding an "outdoor council meeting" and calling to "defund" Tempe police.

Demonstrators are encouraged to wear masks and physical distance. The location of the rally will be released an hour before the demonstration begins.

RELATED: 'Defund the police' means the abolishment of departments for some Valley activist groups

After the settlement was approved, the attorney representing Arce's family issued a statement that read, in part: 

"From the beginning, the family of Antonio Arce has been seeking justice and some measure of accountability. This has never been about money. No amount of money would replace the tragic loss of a child, nor would they see this as an opportunity for an economic windfall. The death of a child would inevitably cause the most serious, intense, long-lasting grief."

RELATED: Family of 14-year-old shot by Tempe PD reacts to police showing new video of shooting

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RELATED: Former Phoenix police union president says he supports Tempe officer's actions in shooting of 14-year-old

 

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