A California County Will Pay $4.9 Million to Settle With the Family of a Mentally Ill Man Who Was Fatally Shot by Police
Contra Costa County is negotiating a $4.9 million settlement with the family of Laudemer Arboleda, the mentally ill Newark man who was shot dead nearly three years ago by a sheriff’s deputy in Danville, the family’s attorney said Wednesday.
The announcement came a day after jury convicted sheriff’s deputy Andrew Hall of felony assault with a firearm in Arboleda’s death, while failing to reach a verdict on the more serious charge of voluntary manslaughter. Prosecutors are still weighing whether they will refile the manslaughter charge against the deputy — a decision that proved highly controversial within the local district attorney’s office just six months ago.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has “authorized its attorneys to negotiate a settlement agreement for $4.9 million, inclusive of attorneys’ fees and costs,” according to Susan Shiu, a county spokeswoman. A finalized agreement has not yet been put before the county Board of Supervisors for a vote.
