Tacoma Police Murdered Bennie Branch After Unlawful Traffic Stop: Cops Shot Black Man 4X in the Back as He Fled w/His Hands Visibly Empty and 3X as He Fell to the Ground. Liberal Authorities Pay $3M

From [HERE] Officials in the liberal, white city of Tacoma, Washington, will pay $3.1 million to the family of a Black man who was fatally shot by police during a traffic stop in 2019. 

The liberal authorities on the City Council announced Tuesday's settlement with the relatives of 24-year-old Bennie Branch in a news release. 

“This family’s loss has been felt deeply across our entire community – specifically amongst Tacoma’s African American community,” the statement said, adding that the settlement was “not an admission of legal liability,” but rather a way for both sides to avoid an expensive trial. [MORE]

According to the federal complaint:

‘On or about September 8, 2019, Mr. Branch was near the intersection of East 35th Street and Portland Avenue in Tacoma, Washington.

Mr. Branch was the passenger in his mother’s car when the car was stopped by officers from the Tacoma Police Department (“TPD”). Mr. Branch was not being detained or arrested by any member of TPD as he drove down the street with his mother. As Mr. Branch and his mother drove down the street they were pulled over by TPD officers without reasonable suspicion or probable cause.

After being pulled over, Mr. Branch exited out of the vehicle and onto the street. Near the intersection of East 35th Street and Portland Avenue, BRADLEY discharged his firearm at Mr. Branch, striking him several times, including four (4) shots to the back, as Mr. Branch was facing away and moving away from the involved officers, causing Mr. Branch serious physical injury and eventually killing him.

At the time of the shooting, Mr. Branch did not have a weapon in his hands, nor did he have anything in his hands that resembled a weapon. Mr. Branch never made a furtive movement with a weapon in his hands, nor did he threaten the involved officers with a weapon. Further, Mr. Branch was shot as he ran away from the officers with nothing in his hands, including four (4) shots to his back, as well as additional shots as he was going down to the ground, and after he already went down to the ground.

Mr. Branch was punched, kicked, elbowed and tased prior to being fatally shot by the involved officers, including by BRADLEY and DOES 1-10. At the time of the shooting Mr. Branch posed no immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to either BRADLEY, DOES 1-10 or any other person, especially since his hands were visibly empty, he was not reaching for a weapon and he was running away from BRADLEY when he was fatally shot, including four (4) shots to his back.

Mr. Branch never punched, kicked or struck any of the officers, nor did he attempt to do so, he did not physically injury anyone, including BRADLEY and DOES 1-10, and he never verbally threatened anyone prior to being fatally shot.

On information and belief, BRADLEY and DOES 1-10 had no information that Mr. Branch had committed a felony.

After shooting Mr. Branch multiple times, BRADLEY and DOES 1-10 did not timely summons or provide medical attention for Mr. Branch, who was bleeding profusely and had obvious serious injuries.’