The family of Melyda "Mely" Corado, the Trader Joe’s assistant manager fatally shot by police in a 2018 standoff in Silver Lake, has reached a tentative settlement with the city of Los Angeles. The resolution of the lawsuit, terms of which were not disclosed, was reported to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Alison Mackenzie on Friday, CBS News reported.
Corado was tragically caught in the crossfire when Officers Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans engaged in a shootout with suspect Gene Evin Atkins on July 21, 2018. The officers were pursuing Atkins after he shot and wounded his grandmother and kidnapped a teenage girl. According to a sworn statement by Jeffrey J. Noble, a former Irvine Deputy Police Chief and use-of-force expert, the officers' decision to open fire "was reckless and inconsistent with generally accepted police practices." The incident occurred when Atkins, who is now 34-years-old and still awaiting trial, crashed his car near the store after a 15-minute pursuit and entered the location, prompting the deadly exchange of bullets.
In their bid to capture the fleeing suspect, the officers perhaps unintentionally put numerous civilians at risk, on a crowded Saturday afternoon, as Noble pointed out in his declaration—information that came into glaring focus in the lawsuit filed by Corado's family in November 2018. A report by the LA County District Attorney's Office, however, found the officers were "justified in using deadly force," as stated by ABC7. Both officers maintained in court papers that their actions were necessary in the face of Atkins’ threat.
"I had no alternative but to fire my weapon at Gene Atkins in order to stop this deadly threat that he, himself, had created," Officer Tse explained in a sworn statement. His partner Winans echoed this sentiment, stating, "No longer could I avoid the unfortunate need to fire my weapon to stop Gene Atkins' deadly actions." Despite their reasons, the officers were accused of negligence for not considering the presence of the public surrounding the grocery store as Atkins ran inside. A handout on LAPD's Use of Deadly Force, provided to academy recruits, explicitly states that before discharging a firearm, officers must consider their surrounding environment and the risks posed to bystanders.
While the lawsuit's settlement terms remain under wraps, it is a sobering reminder of the harsh calculus entailed in split-second decisions made by law enforcement and the devastating consequences that can ensue. The case is expected to be dismissed by September 3, as both legal teams prepare to close this chapter of a narrative pocked by tragedy and controversy.
