The family of a woodcarver from B.C. who was shot to death by Seattle police last year is receiving a $1.5 million settlement from the city.
John Williams, a 50-year-old member of the Ditidaht people on Vancouver Island, was fired upon by rookie officer Ian Birk in downtown Seattle on August 30.
Williams' mother sued the City of Seattle after efforts to have Birk charged were unsuccessful. The settlement, announced Friday by the city, will be paid to her and Williams' estate.
Seattle has also agreed to put up two totem poles in memory of Williams, to be carved by his brother Rick.
"This is one step towards justice, but it is only a step. Nothing can make up for the loss of my brother," Williams said in a release.
Video of the incident taken from Birk's patrol car shows John walking down the street carrying a three-inch blade and a piece of wood.
Birk orders him to put down the knife three times as he follows him down out of view. Soon after, five shots are fired in quick succession.
The officer resigned from the Seattle Police Department on February 16, the day the department's Firearms Review Board ruled the fatal shooting was unjustified.
Williams was a talented woodcarver who had work displayed in a Seattle-area gallery. He had been living in the city for more than 15 years.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Nafeesa Karim
