Bryant Allen and the estate of Freddie Helms, the two men who were passengers in Rodney G. King's car on the night that police arrested and beat King, settled their cases Monday with the city of Los Angeles, accepting $55,000 in return for dropping their lawsuits against the city and a number of other defendants.
The settlements come as King's civil case is being winnowed down in advance of next month's trial date. King sued an array of defendants, but in recent days the California Highway Patrol and two Los Angeles Unified School District officers have been dismissed as defendants. Left in his suit are the city, the four officers charged with participating in the March 3, 1991, beating and the Los Angeles Unified School District.
