Despite being given legal cover by the DA, the strapped city of San Diego shells out hundreds of thousands of dollars to the family of puppeteer killed by police.
The city of San Diego has agreed to pay $325,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a 25-year-old man police shot and killed when he reached for a toy gun during a traffic stop.
The City Council unanimously approved the settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday.
Jacob Richard Faust was pulled over for making an illegal left turn on April 4, 2005. Police say he scuffled with two officers before reaching behind his van's front passenger seat and pulling out the toy gun. One of the officers fired three times and killed him.
Faust's family has disputed the officers' account.
They say Faust used the toy gun as a prop in a puppet show.
The district attorney concluded that the shooting was legally justified.
