A former Hartford police officer who was arrested in 2003 after shooting a fleeing suspect, and subsequently fired before being exonerated by a jury, has settled two lawsuits with the city and expects to be back on the job by next spring.Sometimes they claim the guy who was running away turned and pointed a gun over his shoulder. Often that explanation is all it takes for a quick turnaround for the trigger-happy officer. This case took a while.
Robert Murtha, 41, accepted the city's offer Tuesday to settle his lawsuits in return for reinstatement with the department and more than $500,000 to cover legal bills, lost pay and benefits. The city stood to lose more than $1 million had it lost its pending appeals in the civil suit and arbitration rulings. The arbitration ruling included an order to reinstate him as a police officer.
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