Settlement reached in shooting death of driver by officer

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A settlement has been reached in a federal lawsuit over the shooting death of an unarmed driver during a traffic stop in Pennsylvania.

PennLive.com (http://bit.ly/2wyjHaP ) reports that details of the deal over the shooting by former Hummelstown officer Lisa Mearkle weren’t immediately made public.

Investigators say Mearkle shot 59-year-old David Kassick twice in the back as he lay on the ground in South Hanover Township in February 2015.

The 14-year veteran of the department contended that she fired in fear for her safety because Kassick refused repeated commands to show his hands after being hit by a stun gun.

A Dauphin County jury acquitted Mearkle of third-degree murder and voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. She later resigned from the force after accepting a $120,000 severance package.

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Information from: Pennlive.com, http://www.pennlive.com