Former Manhattan Beach police officer, Richard Hatten, 36, who was fired last March for his involvement in a hit and run collision, agreed to withdraw his appeal for termination from the Manhattan Beach Police Department, said City Manager Dave Carmany on Monday.
On Friday, Hatten and the city signed a settlement agreement, which does not include a payout.
“The matter has now been settled amicably and comprehensibly,” Carmany said, adding, “It was exactly the result that the city was seeking.”
The city agrees to release all claims, actual or potential, against Hatten arising from his employment relationship with the city, and Hatten agrees to release all claims against the city in the same manner, according to the agreement.
Hatten was not available for comment.
The collision, which occurred in January of 2010, cost two other officers who were passengers in the vehicle, Eric Eccles and Kristopher Thompson, their jobs. They were also fired in March. At the time, City Manager David Carmany called the action “a last resort” at the end of “a very difficult process.”
Jeff Goodrich, the officer who responded to the scene, was placed on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation ensued. Goodrich died of cancer before the investigation was complete.
Eccles and Thompson did not face criminal charges. In November, the two officers each filed a $10.3 million claim for damages against the city of Manhattan Beach. In identical claims, Eccles and Thompson argue that they were wrongfully terminated, and that the “public assassination” of each man’s character has interfered with their economic opportunity, personal health and relationships.
