Cop responding to report of gun shots kills unarmed stranger

The mother and brother of an Overbrook man shot and killed by police while escorting his nephew home on New Years Eve 2007 will receive a $1.2 million settlement from the city, their lawyer said Thursday.

Bryan Jones, a deli clerk who hoped to attend community college, was hit on the side of his head, just forward of his right ear, by an officer responding to reports of gunshots.

Jones, 20, was unarmed, and had no criminal record, a police investigation concluded at the time.

The officer who fired the shot, Steven Szczepkowski remains on duty. He could not be reached for comment.

Szczepkowski was cleared of any criminal charges by former District Attorney Lynne Abraham and was not found in violation of any department policies, said Craig Straw, the chief deputy city solicitor for civil rights.