Santa Cruz reaches settlement in Arlt Case

The City of Santa Cruz reached a $1,600,000 settlement to resolve a lawsuit brought by the family of Sean Arlt.

Santa Cruz police officers shot and killed Arlt in October of 2016.

Police were called to a home on Chase Street in Santa Cruz on reports of a man trying to get into a home. The caller knew Arlt, referring to him as “the crazy kid from next door,” but still wanted authorities to come right away.

When Sgt. Bill Clayton, Officers Adam Baker, Denise Cockrum and Erik Bailey arrived on scene, they saw him holding an umbrella, banging it on a wall and making noise. The officers, aware of Arlt’s recent run-in with police, formed a plan to have two officers armed with less lethal weapons (tasers) and two officers armed with guns. Arlt disappeared from their view but came back holding a five-foot bow rake. Police said he given multiple verbal commands then was tased three times by two different officers, but they said it had no effect.

Arlt was shot in the head and the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene 18 minutes after he was shot.

City Council approved a settlement agreement with the Arlt family under the condition that the city of Santa Cruz would be released of all liability and claims of Arlt’s death.

“The City’s decision to settle the Arlt lawsuit is, in no way, a criticism of the officers involved, nor should it reflect adversely on their dedication and professionalism,” said city officials.

The Santa Cruz DA’s Office investigated the case and found that there were no legal wrongdoing on the part of the officer involved in the shooting.

“This settlement reflects our desire for the Arlt family, the City and community to progress forward, said Mayor David Terrazas. We know that the City of Santa Cruz, its police department, and its residents will continue to seek comprehensive collaboration, for solutions to address our concerns over the mental health crisis.”

“The death of Sean Arlt was a tragic incident, and I hope this resolution will help heal all parties involved by not reliving this tragedy again in court. The decision to settle is fiscally responsible when compared to the financial realities and risks of proceeding to trial.”- City Manager Martin Bernal

“In the early morning hours of Oct. 16, 2016, our officers were compelled to take immediate action in a very dangerous circumstance which led to tragic consequences,” said Chief Mills. “It was a tragedy for Mr. Arlt’s family, the community and our officers. We are pleased that there is a settlement. We hope that Mr. Arlt’s family and the officers involved can move forward with healing. As a Department, we view the protection of human life as our highest priority. We can always do more and are consistently looking for better options to prevent the use of force as evidenced by our recent department-wide effort to provide advanced de-escalation training,” said Chief Mills.

Read more on Sean Arlt case here: http://bit.ly/2DLH1Wd