San Diego to Pay $30 Million in Fatal Police Shooting Settlement
San Diego to Pay $30 Million in Police Shooting Case
The San Diego city attorney’s office has agreed to pay $30 million to the family of 16-year-old Konoa Wilson, who was fatally shot by a San Diego police officer in January at a downtown train station in San Diego, California.
Proposed Settlement and City Council Action
A resolution authorizing the proposed $30 million settlement with the family of Konoa Wilson has been added to the San Diego City Council’s agenda for Tuesday morning. An agenda item posted Friday states that, if approved, the settlement will be paid from the city’s Public Liability Fund. If the council approves the agreement, it would be one of the largest settlements of a police-involved killing case in United States history and would exceed the $27 million that the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay the family of George Floyd.
Details of the January 28 Incident
Surveillance and body-worn camera footage from January 28 showed Konoa Wilson running away from a person who pulled a gun and fired at him inside a downtown train station in San Diego. As Wilson exited the station, he encountered San Diego Police Officer Daniel Gold.
Family’s Lawsuit Against the City and Officer
Wilson’s family filed a lawsuit in June against the city of San Diego and Officer Daniel Gold. The suit alleged that Gold "instantly, without any warning" fired two shots at Wilson as he ran past, striking him in the upper body. The lawsuit stated that only after shooting Wilson and watching him fall to the ground did Gold announce, "San Diego Police." The complaint described Wilson as Black and identified him as a teenager.
Fatal Outcome and Medical Response
After being shot, Konoa Wilson was transported to UC San Diego Health Medical Center. He was pronounced dead there less than an hour later on January 28.
Statements from the Family’s Attorney
Family attorney Nick Rowley, in a statement, characterized what happened to Konoa Wilson as a catastrophic failure of policing and stated that Wilson was a 16-year-old boy who was running and was shot in the back by a police officer. Rowley asserted that Wilson was not a threat and not a suspect when he was shot.