Gary Cameron
A federal judge on Tuesday approved a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of Michael Brown, whose fatal shooting by police in Ferguson, Missouri, triggered weeks of protests in 2014. The terms of the agreement between Ferguson authorities and Brown’s parents, Michael Brown Sr. and Lesley McSpadden, were not disclosed. U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber said the settlement is “fair and reasonable compensation.” Webber also said “disclosure of the terms of the settlement agreement could jeopardize the safety of individuals involved in this matter, whether as witnesses, parties, or investigators.” Brown’s parents sued the city, former police chief Tom Jackson, and former police officer Darren Wilson in 2015, alleging that the city violated Brown’s civil rights by unlawfully detaining him and using excessive force. A federal investigation after Brown’s killing warned of systematic racial discrimination in Ferguson, but Wilson was not indicted.