San Diego agrees to $30M settlement for family of black teen shot dead by police
The city attorney’s office in San Diego has reached a historic agreement to pay $30 million to the family of Konoa Wilson, a 16-year-old youth who was tragically shot and killed by police in January. This settlement, if approved, would mark one of the largest payouts in a police-involved killing case in US history.
Nick Rowley, the family’s attorney, described the incident as a “catastrophic failure of policing.” He emphasized that Wilson, who was not a threat or a suspect, was running for his life when he was fatally shot by a police officer. The officer, identified as Daniel Gold, fired two shots at Wilson as he ran by, striking him in the upper body.
Surveillance and body-worn camera footage from the incident showed Wilson fleeing from someone who had pulled a gun and fired at him in a downtown train station. As he exited the station, he encountered Officer Gold, who shot him without warning. Wilson was pronounced dead at UC San Diego Health Medical Center less than an hour later.
The proposed settlement would exceed the $27 million paid by the city of Minneapolis to the family of George Floyd, whose murder in 2020 sparked a nationwide reckoning on racial injustice. The settlement amount would be funded from the Public Liability Fund, according to an agenda item posted by the city.
The lawsuit filed by Wilson’s family alleged that the shooting was an act of racial violence, with Gold shooting the teenager in the back as he tried to reach safety. The tragic incident highlights the urgent need for accountability and reform within law enforcement agencies to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
