Family of teen shot by police to receive $125,000 from city

The city agreed today to a settlement in a case involving an 18-year-old girl who was shot to death by Huntington Beach police officers in Aug. 2006.

The mother, father and estate of Ashley MacDonald will receive $125,000, a far cry from the tens of millions of dollars in damages they originally requested.

The two officers who shot MacDonald, Shawn Randell and Read Parker, were exonerated in 2007 by county prosecutors, who found the officers acted properly in the situation.

Authorities said MacDonald came home from a party and cut her mother with a four-inch serrated blade during an argument, before leaving the house.

Police confronted her at Sun View Park, where they and three witnesses say MacDonald chased one of the officers with the knife when they ordered her to drop it.

One witness said MacDonald stabbed a telephone pole before the officers’ arrival; the officers and other witnesses said MacDonald screamed “I’m on drugs, just shoot me.”

Officers shot her 15 times.

Coroners’ reports found MacDonald had taken high levels of methamphetamine prior to the incident.

Attorney Jerry Steering filed several claims with the city, requesting as much as $20 million in damages.

The family’s lawyer was not available for immediate comment.

“This was a tragic incident for all concerned and we are pleased that it has come to a conclusion, and that all the involved parties can have some closure,” City Attorney Jennifer McGrath said Friday.

CANDICE BAKER can be reached at (714) 966-4631 or at candice.baker@latimes.com.