Man accidentally shot by Palm Springs police settles for $125K

The city of Palm Springs has settled a lawsuit with a man who was accidentally shot by Palm Springs police back in January of 2013.

According to City Attorney Doug Holland, the city has been working on the settlement deal with Benjamin Meza since November of 2014.

Holland said Meza was an innocent bystander who was accidentally shot by police while walking his dog in the Warm Sands neighborhood. Officers were in a gunfight with a burglary suspect when Meza was hit in the leg by a stray bullet.

The accidental shooting happened in the 600 block of S. Camino Real around 10:30 p.m.

The settlement was for $125,000 and Holland said even with the settlement, officials claim the officers acted appropriately.

The burglary suspect was identified as Juan Villanueva Lopez Jr.

The Palm Springs Police Department caught up with him later that night in Cathedral City where a standoff occurred well into the morning. Villanueva Lopez Jr. finally surrendered to police and was arrested around 11 a.m. the next day.