The family of an unarmed black man shot and killed by police on his wedding day will get R24 million in settlement of their lawsuit
The shooting took place on November 25, 2006.
The $3 million (R24 million) pay-out to Sean Bell's family was confirmed by the New York City Law Department this week.
In the agreement signed by a federal judge, two other men shot and wounded in the same incident, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, will receive three million and 900,000 dollars respectively, the department said in a statement.
“The City regrets the loss of life in this tragic case, and we share our deepest condolences with the Bell family,” said department head Michael Cardozo.
Sean Bell, 23, and his two friends were shot by three police officers after they drove away from a nightclub a few hours before Bell’s wedding.
Police claimed the car did not stop at their command and that they thought Bell was armed.
Bell’s body was riddled with 50 bullets in the shooting that sparked demonstrations and allegations that the NYPD was trigger-happy in incidents involving non-whites.
Two officers involved in the shooting were cleared of manslaughter in April 2008 and a third was cleared of reckless endangerment.
In February, the Justice Department ruled there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges of civil rights violations against the three police officers.