Los Angeles (Thechieftainspear) – The City of Los Angeles has reached a second settlement related to the 2018 Trader Joe’s shooting in Silver Lake, this time with a woman who suffered an eye injury from a stray bullet. The agreement follows a previous $9.5 million settlement with the family of Melyda “Mely” Corado, the Trader Joe’s assistant manager who was fatally shot by police during the incident.
New Settlement Details Remain Confidential
Emma Argueta, who filed a lawsuit against the city after being injured in the chaotic scene, has now reached an undisclosed settlement. Her attorney filed court documents on Monday notifying Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa R. Jaskol of the resolution. A trial had been scheduled for March 17.
Argueta’s case stemmed from the same tragic event that led to Corado’s death. The 27-year-old store manager was hit by a bullet fired by LAPD Officer Sinlen Tse on July 21, 2018, as police pursued suspect Gene Atkins, who had fled into the store following a vehicle chase.
Officer Conduct Questioned
The original lawsuit, filed by Corado’s family, named the city along with Officers Tse and Sarah Winans. Jeffrey J. Noble, a former Irvine Deputy Police Chief and use-of-force expert, argued in a sworn statement that the officers should have exercised more caution before opening fire, given the risk of injuring bystanders inside the store.
Argueta, who had been in a car leaving the Trader Joe’s parking lot when the shots rang out, described her terror during a 2019 court hearing. She recalled hearing gunfire just after Atkins exited his vehicle, then realizing her eye was bleeding after her boyfriend screamed in alarm.
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“I remember sitting frozen in the car, thinking, ‘I’m probably going to die,'” she testified. Argueta underwent emergency surgery that day and continues to struggle with vision in her right eye. She filed her lawsuit in February 2019.
City Disputes Liability
Despite the settlement, the City Attorney’s Office maintained that Argueta’s injury was not caused by police gunfire. In legal filings, city lawyers argued that any bullet that struck Argueta likely came from Atkins, claiming, “If plaintiff Argueta’s injury was caused by a bullet at all, it was a bullet fired by Atkins that was intended to kill a police officer.”
Atkins, now 35, was shot in the elbow as he fled into the store. He was later charged with Corado’s murder and faces more than 50 additional charges, including shooting and injuring his grandmother and teenage girlfriend, as well as firing at police officers. His trial is still pending.
The latest settlement adds another chapter to the complex legal aftermath of the Silver Lake standoff, raising ongoing questions about police tactics and accountability .
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