Family of Bennie Edwards, killed in OKC police shooting, to receive $1.05M in settlement

The family of a man shot and killed by Oklahoma City police four years ago will receive $1.05 million in a settlement approved by the Oklahoma City Council.

Bennie Joe Edwards, 60, was shot and killed by police on Dec. 11, 2020, after officers arrived at a northeast Oklahoma City store where Edwards had been accused of bothering customers. The encounter ended with officers shooting at Edwards as he ran toward them while holding a knife, and then shooting him in the back as he attempted to run away.

The city council approved the settlement at its Tuesday meeting.

The killing of Edwards, who was experiencing homelessness and had a history of mental illness, drew intense controversy and days of protests. It happened just months after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, which sparked backlash and social unrest nationwide.

The shooting also raised questions about whether or not Oklahoma City police detectives should be allowed to investigate fellow officers. Many police departments statewide often turn to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to handle officer-involved shootings, but Oklahoma City police still investigate their own, submitting their internal findings to the local district attorney to decide whether charges are pursued.

In response to calls for police reform in recent years, a revamped Community Public Safety Advisory Board was established to provide some civilian oversight and to review complaints and shooting cases, but only after investigations are closed. Many other recommendations, including revision of the police department’s use of force policy and prioritization of de-escalation, are still on the pathway to implementation.

“Oklahoma City’s Police Department has a custom and practice of using excessive force disproportionally against minorities, unarmed and mentally ill individuals and what happened to Bennie Edwards was truly shameful,” Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney representing the Edwards family, said in December 2021. “He was in emotional distress at the time the officers encountered him, and instead of responding with compassion and care, they treated him with aggression, tasers and bullets.”

More: A Black man killed by OKC police had severe mental illness; the officers had no crisis intervention certification.

In February 2021, former Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater charged one of the officers involved, Sergeant Clifford Holman, with first-degree murder, but not the other, Sgt. Keith Duroy.

However, a detective later recanted his original statement that Holman unnecessarily shot Edwards. Current District Attorney Vicki Behenna decided to dismiss the charges against Holman in 2023. Despite that decision, Edwards’ family moved forward with a civil lawsuit against the city.

Kimberle Thompson, Edwards’ daughter, and Edwards’ mother, Juanita Hill, co-administrators of his estate, had sued the city and officers Duroy and Holman in federal court in December 2021. The lawsuit alleged Duroy and Holman “used inappropriate, unwarranted and unjustifiable force” against Edwards, even as they saw “Edwards was retreating.”

More: OKC policing task force consultant submits de-escalation, use of force recommendations

An Oklahoma City Council memo said the settlement was reached between Edwards’ family and the city on Oct. 25. The memo also emphasized the settlement was made without any admission of liability.

A spokesperson for the city could not provide further comment on the settlement. Neither legal teams representing Holman and Duroy nor the Edwards family responded to requests for comment Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC council approves $1.05M settlement with Bennie Edwards’ family

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