Duy Ngo, the Minneapolis police officer who received a $4.5 million settlement in 2007 for injuries sustained when he was shot by another officer, was found dead from an apparent suicide, the Star Tribune reports.
The settlement was one of the most talked about cases of the year. Ngo, who was working undercover, was shot in the side and radioed for help. When police arrived, another officer saw Ngo waiving his arms and shot him six times. (The officer said he mistook Ngo for an assailant with weapons.)
Ngo’s lawyer, Robert Bennett, was named an Attorney of the Year after procuring the highly unusual settlement. (Click here for Minnesota Lawyer story.) Here’s an excerpt:
The case was a challenge from the start, in part because of mistakes made in the days following the incident.
“The investigation of it was so flawed and botched from the get-go by the Minneapolis police,” Bennett says.
In addition, rumors about the shooting began flying almost immediately, which made getting to the truth even more difficult. Bennett says more than 50 depositions were conducted during the time the case was pending.
Some good came out of it, however, including important changes in the police department’s policies and procedures. Bennett explains that there have been changes in the rules regarding plainclothes officers, in how evidence is collected and in investigative techniques.
In reporting the apparent suicide, the Strib notes Ngo was scheduled to testify at a criminal trial set to start Monday of a woman who was charged in an incident that took place at a Minneapolis high-rise where Ngo was working security. The woman had also filed a civil suit against Ngo.
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