Minneapolis Approves $200K for Jamar Clark's Family

The Minneapolis City Council has approved a $200,000 settlement for the family of a black man who was killed by police in 2015. Jamar Clark's death during a struggle with two white officers led to weeks of protests outside a nearby police station. Prosecutors declined to seek criminal charges, and the department did not discipline the officers. The council previously rejected an unspecified five-figure settlement because it was too low, the AP reports. The city's mayor said in a statement Friday that the aftermath of Clark's death brought lasting reform to Minneapolis, per the Star Tribune. "And while no amount of money can make Jamar’s family whole, I know that this decision was shaped by a common belief that we can and must do better by our community," Jacob Frey said.

The vote rejecting the first proposed amount came on the same day the council approved a $20 million settlement with the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a white, Australian-born woman who was fatally shot by a black police officer in 2017. The officer, Mohammed Noor, was convicted on two counts and sentenced to 12 years in prison. An organizer of a coalition seeking police changes criticized the Clark settlement Friday. "The low amount, 1% compared to the one reached for Justine Damond, and the protracted legal battle demonstrates the injustice for black, brown and indigenous people when they are killed by police," Loretta VanPelt said. (Five people were shot near a protest that followed Clark's fatal shooting.)