Council approves settlement with officer’s family

Wednesday, April 14, 1999 | 9:36 a.m.

The Navy earlier agreed to a $1 million payment to the widow and two children of Keith Hashimoto, who died in a 6,000-foot free fall from a Navy helicopter three years ago.

The city will get $300,000 of that settlement and will add $100,000 of its own to buy a $400,000 annuity for Carole Hashimoto and her two daughters.

The city also will continue to pay Mrs. Hashimoto's medical insurance.

Hashimoto was a member of the Reno Police Department's SWAT team. He and a fellow SWAT officer, Sgt. Steve Pitts, were training with Navy Seals on March 29, 1996, at Fallon.

A Navy investigation said Hashimoto did not deploy either of his two parachutes, perhaps due to "a loss of situational awareness."

Investigators also said the jump master in charge had ordered the removal of automatic chute openers and did not have authorization for civilian police to train with the military.

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