Sacramento, California – The city of Sacramento recently settled a case involving the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Darell Richards by police officers in Curtis Park. City records indicate that the settlement was reached for a nominal sum of $100,000, with the agreement not including any admission of liability. The case had been ongoing for years, including a trial in 2022 that ended in a hung jury.
The settlement, agreed upon in September, finally brought an end to the legal battle between the city and Richards’ family. Despite the resolution, city officials and the family’s lawyers have chosen not to disclose the specifics of the agreement. The settlement was signed by Richards’ mother, Khoua Vang, in October of the same year.
The incident in which Richards, a Black man, was fatally shot occurred in September 2018 when police officers mistook the replica handgun he was holding for a real weapon. The officers involved claimed they believed Richards was pointing the gun at another officer. Legal representatives for Richards’ parents argued that he was surrendering at the time and criticized the handling of the situation.
This shooting took place just six months after another young Black man, Stephon Clark, was killed by Sacramento police under similar circumstances, further igniting nationwide outrage and protests against police brutality. The death of Clark, who was unarmed and carrying only a cellphone, resulted in significant civil unrest at the time.
The $100,000 settlement amount stands in stark contrast to the multimillion-dollar settlements reached in similar cases involving police shootings. Despite the relatively small payout, the resolution of the Richards case marks a step towards closure for the family after years of legal challenges and public scrutiny. The city’s decision to settle the case without admission of liability raises questions about accountability and transparency in cases of police use of force.