Anaheim will pay $5 million to a man who sued the city after losing his leg following a 2020 police shooting that occurred after the man broke into a home and tried to flee police.

Raul Sanchez, now 26 and imprisoned at Kern Valley State Prison, was shot three times while trying to escape arrest, sustaining injuries that ultimately led to the amputation of his leg. Sanchez pleaded guilty last year to a burglary charge and misdemeanors related to the 2020 incident. He was sentenced to two years in state prison.

But in 2021, before his criminal case was resolved, Sanchez sued the cities of Anaheim and Buena Park as well as the Anaheim police officer who shot him, seeking damages for his injuries.

Anaheim spokesman Mike Lyster confirmed the settlement Tuesday. He said the city supports the officer’s actions, saying the shooting took place “in a difficult and trying situation.” This echoes the findings of a 2023 investigation by the Orange County district attorney, who concluded that the Anaheim officer justified the shooting.

“There are times when it is in our best interest to resolve litigation, and this was one of those times,” Lyster said.

The settlement — which Lyster said will be paid for by insurance under a risk-sharing agreement that Anaheim shares with several municipalities — is not expected to affect the city’s spending on residential services.

“The settlement amount is $5 million, paid to Sanchez, who survived his injuries and is currently in prison. The settlement reflects a life-changing injury with the amputation of a leg,” Lyster said.

The shooting occurred on the afternoon of November 13, 2020. At approximately 4:15 p.m., Anaheim Police responded to a 911 call from a driver who said he was being followed by a man brandishing a gun from his vehicle .

Police went to a 7-Eleven near Beach Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue, near the city’s border with Buena Park, where an Anaheim officer saw Sanchez walking near the store’s parking lot. When Sanchez saw the officer, he started running, according to the district attorney’s report.

Police began searching for Sanchez after he was seen jumping a wall and entering a neighboring residential property, off Adams Way, Buena Park.

At the time, Sánchez was already wanted in Buena Park for an assault and residential burglary in the area, as well as a burglary in Anaheim Hills, where two guns were stolen. Anaheim police recognized Sanchez from a flyer previously distributed by Buena Park police.

As police searched for Sanchez, he was seen jumping several fences surrounding homes in the neighborhood, and Anaheim police established a perimeter to contain him. Sanchez was then seen removing a window screen to enter a residence on Adams Way.