Phoenix leaders have approved a $1.2 million lawsuit settlement with the children of a man police shot and killed in 2019.
Court records say Henry Rivera and his family were passing through Phoenix when a complicated pregnancy stranded them here on the brink of homelessness.
Then Rivera found work as a hotel handyman and his family could live on the property. But police, acting on a tip, arrived en force looking for a different man suspected of murder.
Rivera fled, likely because he had an arrest warrant. Records say officers shot Rivera in the back without verifying his identity.
“This was a huge tragedy that could have been avoided if officers had taken the time to identify who they were chasing before shooting the individual,” said Anna Hernandez, a city councilwoman.
Police arrested the murder suspect within days.
The Phoenix Police Department is now retraining its entire force on how to approach suspects and people they question.
This was revealed on Wednesday as the City Council weighed whether to approve the settlement, which it later did so unanimously.
Attorney Scott Halverson said money is going into an annuity for four children of Rivera. Halverson represents one of the kids.
“It will be gradually paid out over time after they turn 18,” said Halverson.
The Phoenix police chief expects officer retraining on use of time, distance and cover will be done by the end of October.
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