Atlanta City Council approves $1.475M settlement for 2019 police shooting of teen

The Atlanta City Council has approved a $1.475 million settlement with the family of D'ettrick Griffin, an 18-year-old who was fatally shot by former officer Oliver Simmonds in 2019 while allegedly trying to steal an unmarked police vehicle. Simmonds, who was off duty and in plain clothes at the time, was later charged with felony murder and other offenses but was found not guilty by a jury in 2023. Griffin's family maintained that, although he attempted a crime, the use of lethal force was excessive. The city's attorneys determined that settling the lawsuit would be less financially risky than continuing litigation. The settlement will be paid to Griffin's family in two installments. This agreement follows several other recent settlements by Atlanta in police use-of-force cases.