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 Ramarley Graham, 18, was shot dead on Feb. 2, 2012 inside the
bathroom of his Bronx apartment after being followed by police
officers who said they believed he was carrying a gun.
"This was a tragic case," New York City Law Department spokesman
Nicholas Paolucci said in an email.
"After evaluating all the facts, and consulting with key
stakeholders such as the NYPD, it was determined that settling the
matter was in the best interest of the city," he added.
The officer, Richard Haste, was indicted for the fatal shooting in
June 2012. Police said several officers who had seen Graham on the
street - including Haste - suspected he had a gun because of the way
he moved his hands near his waist.
Haste and a partner followed Graham to his apartment building and
kicked down his apartment door. Haste shot Graham in the chest in a
bathroom, police said.
 In May 2013, a judge dismissed the charges, ruling that prosecutors
gave the grand jury improper instructions.
The New York Daily News reported that a second grand jury later
decided against re-indicting Haste. A federal probe of the shooting
by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office is ongoing, the paper
reported.
New York City's settlement with the Graham family ends a federal
lawsuit filed over the killing.
The Law Department said $2.95 million will go to Graham's estate,
while Graham's brother will receive $500,000, his grandmother will
get $450,000, and his mother will receive $40,000.
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The settlement comes a day after the girlfriend of another unarmed
black teen shot dead by a police officer notified officials that she
plans to file a $50 million lawsuit against the city.
The fatal shooting of 28-year-old Akai Gurley in a dark stairwell of
a Brooklyn housing project last November was among a string of
incidents that fueled widespread protests over what critics say is a
pattern of police brutality toward minority groups.
Gurley's funeral was held in December amid angry demonstrations in
New York City days after a grand jury declined to indict a white
police officer, Daniel Pantaleo, in the chokehold death of another
unarmed black man, Eric Garner, on Staten Island.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Richard
Borsuk)
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