The city settled with a family of 16-year-old girls who were killed by the Anchorage Police for $ 2.1 million

The municipality of Anchorage and the family of a 16-year-old girl included all civil law claims for $ 2.1 million last year, both the family and the municipal officials said on Thursday.

The death of Easter Leafa, which took place during a series of fatal shootings by the anchoring police, led to demonstrations and focused attention to the application of APD's Force guidelines.

Easter Sally Leafa recently moved from American Samoa to Anchorage when the police were called to the eastern anchorage apartment of her family on August 13 when she threatened one of her sisters with a knife.

Body Camera film material from the incident showed that Leafa's family told the officials that they were outside on a balcony and repeatedly asked officials how they wanted to turn to them.

After tense interactions, the police corrected the family into a bedroom and opened a sliding door to face Leafa. She got up, stopped a kitchen knife at her side and took three steps forward when the officials called her to drop the knife. She was shot when she went out of the balcony into the apartment.

After the incident of August 13, the prosecutors solved the affected officials for criminal prosecution. Ten members of the Leafa family brought civilian claims against the municipality, which were settled after the negotiations on April 30 for a payment to the family of 2.11 million US dollars, the city announced in a statement on Thursday.

The Leafa family had not officially filed a lawsuit against the city.

“All legal and comparison decisions that the municipality makes are strategic calls to minimize risks and costs in view of the specific circumstances of the respective case,” says the city's explanation.

The Leafa family said in a separate explanation published by their lawyer Darryl Thompson that they were “grateful to work out the (community) quietly and with grace”.

In American Samoa, the police would have followed a “slower and de -escalating approach”, said the family. “They asked questions that they had created security barriers and took their time to find out more about the circumstances such as the names of Easter, and would generally treat the family very differently.”

“We are confident that the police did not know their age, that she was upset at that time or that she was not strong with the English language,” said the family in her explanation.

The family's explanation praised the mayor of Anchorage, Suzanne Lafrance, and police chief Sean, Sean Case, in the days after the incident and “not only this tragic event, but also by examining the general police guidelines” for training and best practice.

In the months that have passed since the death of Leafa, the family provided information about the events on that day.

“We know that the solution to this matter with the community and the establishment of the events will never bring Easter Sally back,” said the Leafa family. “However, we are confident that despite this terrible event, we shed light on what has happened and that we are heard by the that we can serve as an agent to a small extent to make real and sensible changes to prevent a tragedy.”

In January, the city published a review of the third party about the death of Leafa, which recommended changes to the way the department range from the way 911 calls are sent, to training and supervision. APD has implemented or implemented all recommendations, said the city.

The city also selects a contractor who carries out further review of the department's operational and de-escalation policy. The report will be published, said the city.

In her statement, the family wrote that Leafa was a smiley, forgiving and loving girl.

The family wrote this grief: “Like the flood, ebbs and rivers and their loss, a part of our daily life will always be, but we leave everything in the palms of God.”

Easter Leafa would have ended her junior school year this week.