A university has paid out $5.3m to the family of an unarmed black man who was shot and killed by a campus police officer who pulled him over for missing a licence plate.
In a deal announced on Monday by the University of Cincinnati, the family of Samuel DuBose will receive a $4.85m payment and each of his 12 children will receive free undergraduate tuition.
Mr DuBose, 43, was shot and killed behind the wheel of his car on July 19 after Officer Ray Tensing stopped him near the campus for missing a front license plate, which is required by Ohio law, the Associated Press reported. Mr Tensing was charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty.
“This did not need to happen, and we need to make sure this doesn’t happen to another family,” said Terina Allen, Mr DuBose’s sister.
“And if we have that memorial, maybe that makes people stop and say wow, and maybe it won’t happen again.”
School President Santa Ono said in a statement that the college wanted to extend its apology to the family.
“This agreement is also part of the healing process not only for the family but also for our university and Cincinnati communities,” it said
Mr Tensing said that after he stopped the car, Mr DuBose refused to provide a driver's license and get out.
A struggle ensued as Mr DuBose tried to drive away, and Mr Tensing said he fired because he feared being dragged under the car, said his lawyer, Stewart Matthews. A hearing is set to begin on February 11.
The shooting occurred during heightened scrutiny across the United States of police treatment of blacks, after a string of police-inflicted deaths from Ferguson, Missouri, to Chicago sparked sometimes-violent protests over the past year and a half.
Mark OMara, a civil rights lawyer, representing Mr DuBose’s family, said the family hoped the tragedy can be a springboard to improving relations between police and the community so it doesn't happen again.
“We have to have a discourse on how do we make our cops better cops,” he said. “And the flipside to that coin is, we have to figure out how to better interact with cops.”
