City of Fresno agrees to pay $1.73-million to family of man killed by Police in 2009

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A nine-year court battle between the city of Fresno and the family of a man killed by Fresno Police has ended in a $1.73-million settlement.

The city of Fresno has agreed to pay almost $1.3-million, on top of the $400,000 already paid, to the family of Stephen Willis.

Willis was shot and killed by two Fresno police officers in 2009. Investigators say the officers fired more than 40 rounds, hitting Willis 14 times.

The city's total liability comes out to about $1.73 million.

Walter Walker, who represented the Willis family, tells us attorneys for the city never offered a single dollar to settle the case over these last nine years. The city fought the case all the way to the state Supreme Court but finally agreed to drop appeals when his firm agreed to take $35,000 less in attorney's fees.

A jury awarded the family $1.5 million back in 2013.