Jury Awards $1.7M To Family Of Autistic Man Killed By Police

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A civil jury has awarded $1.7 million to the family of an autistic man who was shot and killed by a Los Angeles police officer.

Attorney Olu Orange said Wednesday that the jury awarded $1 million in compensatory damages to the estate of Mohammad Usman Chaudhry, and $350,000 to each of his parents.

Former officer Joseph Cruz was found to have used excessive force in the March 2008 killing of Chaudhry, though a police probe had largely cleared Cruz after he said he shot Chaudhry when the 21-year-old man lunged at him with a knife.

Cruz was later fired from the Police Department on an unrelated matter.

City attorney spokesman John Franklin declined to comment.

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