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City of Akron reaches $900,000 settlement with 2 brothers shot by police officer in 2017

Both suffered 'severe' injuries during an incident outside a downtown nightclub.

AKRON, Ohio — *EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video is from our previous coverage of this story.

Two brothers who were shot more than a dozen times by an Akron police officer nearly five years ago have agreed to settle their lawsuit against the city.

Jamon Pruiett and Latrent Redrick will receive a total of $900,000, according to attorney Sarah Gelsomino. The suit had been filed in U.S. District Court.

"This marks the end of Latrent's and Jamon's years-long battle for justice in the wake of this reckless and dangerous shooting that left them forever damaged," Gelsomino said in a statement.

During the early morning hours of Oct. 1, 2017, Pruiett and Redrick were outside a downtown Akron nightclub when a passerby began taunting them, causing Redrick to show them a gun in his waistband. Moments later, an Akron officer began firing his own weapon at both Redrick and Pruiett, with Pruiett picking up his brother's gun and shooting back after allegedly not knowing it was a cop.

Gelsomino says the pair were hit by a total of 13 bullets, and both were taken to the hospital with "severe" injuries. Additionally, they were each charged with felonies in the incident, but Redrick pled down to a misdemeanor and Pruiett was acquitted.

"We disagree with the verdict in this case and believe the evidence, which shows the defendant picking up and firing a handgun in the direction of an officer, supports a conviction," then-Akron Police Chief Kenneth Ball said at the time.

It is not known if the officer involved, whose name has not been released, faced any discipline in connection with the shooting. 3News is reaching out to the city for further comment.

"Just because you [are] black with a gun does not mean you are a thug," Redrick told WKYC back in 2018, "because me or my brother [have] never been charged."

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