Originally published January 2 2006
Family of race riot victim receives large settlement 36 years after her death
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The family of Lillie Belle Allen will split a $2 million settlement offered by the city of York, Penn., to compensate for Allen's death during a 1969 race riot in which many city officials participated either directly or indirectly.
The children and sisters of a black woman who was killed during race riots in this central Pennsylvania city 36 years ago will share in a $2 million settlement, city officials announced Tuesday.
The deal would settle the lawsuit that Lillie Belle Allen's family filed against the city and five former police officers, one of whom was more recently the city's mayor.
It also calls for the creation of a memorial to Allen and Henry Schaad, a white city policeman who also was shot to death during the 10 days of rioting in the summer of 1969.
"I thank God we've finally come to closure," said Hattie Dickson of York, one of Allen's sisters, who joined other family members and city officials at a news conference.
The settlement, to be paid by city taxpayers, still must be approved by the five-member city council, which was scheduled to take a vote Tuesday night.
Family members were confronted by a mob of white youths when they drove into the city on July 21, 1969.
Allen was shot when she got out of the vehicle to take the wheel from her frightened sister.
Her case went unsolved for more than 30 years until prosecutors convened a grand jury and uncovered new evidence.
The wrongful-death lawsuit accused former York Mayor Charlie Robertson, who was a police officer at the time of the shooting, four other former officers, and the city of inciting violence and covering up evidence and identities of those involved.
Robertson was acquitted of murder charges in a 2002 trial.
Two white men were convicted of second-degree murder and are serving lengthy prison sentences, and seven other white men pleaded guilty or no contest to lesser offenses.
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