Slain man's family seeks Disneyland statue

ANAHEIM, Calif., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The parents of a black man mistakenly shot by Anaheim, Calif., police say they want Disneyland to erect a statue of their late son at the theme park.

The family of Julian Alexander said the statue on the park's busy Main Street area would "serve as a message of healing and reconciliation" and also as a call for the elimination of the use of deadly force in the city, The Orange County (Calif.) Register reported.

"We believe that Anaheim is a company town, and that Disneyland plays a serious role in the community," said the family's attorney, Richard Herman. "For Julian's parents, this isn't about the money, it's about honoring a man who didn't deserve to die and preventing it from ever happening again."

The Orange County Register said Alexander was fatally shot in his front yard last October by police officers chasing a burglary suspect. The investigation determined that Alexander had been an innocent bystander.

The man's family filed a lawsuit against the city Tuesday. Disneyland is not a defendant in the suit.