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Mario Woods’ Mother Settles Lawsuit Against SF for Son’s Fatal Shooting By Police Days Before Jury Trial on Wrongful Death Was to Begin

Published

6 years ago

April 1, 2019

On the eve of a trial, the mother of Mario Woods has reached a settlement agreement with San Francisco to end the wrongful death lawsuit she filed against five officers for fatally shooting her son in the Bayview in 2015, the San Francisco Examiner has reported.

Details of the tentative agreement made Tuesday have not been released, but civil rights attorney John Burris said Gwen Woods is satisfied with the terms of the deal, which was reached just days before the case was scheduled for trial.

“She is relieved,” Burris said. “It was quite an ordeal for her.”

Perhaps no recent police shooting in San Francisco has been more controversial than the killing of Mario Woods.

Multiple cell phone cameras recorded on Dec. 2, 2015 as the officers shot Mario Woods, a 26-year-old suspect in a nearby stabbing, after attempting to make him drop the knife by using bean-bag guns and pepper spray. Footage of the shooting went viral on social media and spurred outrage. Coalitions formed, marches were held and town halls called.

Building on momentum from the Black Lives Matter movement and a racist police texting scandal, the December 2015 shooting led to a federal review of the San Francisco Police Department and, eventually, the resignation of a police chief.

Last year, District Attorney George Gascon declined to file criminal charges against the five officers who surrounded and shot Mario Woods as he walked on a Bayview sidewalk with a knife in his hand.

Gwen Woods filed the lawsuit in federal court days after the shooting, seeking monetary damages.

The City Attorney’s Office represented officers Charles August, Nicholas Cuevas, Winson Seto, Antonio Santos and Scott Phillips in the case.

In a statement, John Cote, a spokesperson for City Attorney Dennis Herrera, offered condolences to the loved ones of Mario Woods.

“Police officers are often forced into difficult situations and have to make split-second decisions in dangerous and evolving circumstances,” Cote said. “In this case, the officers’ response to a risky situation was consistent with their training and in accordance with the law.”

“This settlement allows us to reach a resolution without the need for a trial,” he said. “Hopefully it will help bring closure for all involved.”

Burris declined to discuss the arguments his attorneys planned to make at trial until the settlement agreement is finalized.

The agreement needs further approval, including from the Board of Supervisors.

“Gwendolyn Woods had a very strong wrongful death case based on the videos,” Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Young, co-chair of the Public Defender’s Racial Justice Committee told the Examiner. “Of all the outrageous and unjustified shootings of suspects in this city, the killing of Mario Woods qualifies as an execution by firing squad.”

The S.F. Examiner

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Oakland Post: Week of January 8 – 14, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 8 – 14, 2025

Published

4 days ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Supreme Court Decision Confirms Convicted Felon Will Assume Presidency

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In a 5-4 ruling, the court stated that Trump’s concerns could “be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal” and emphasized that the burden of sentencing was “relatively insubstantial” given that Trump will not face prison time. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in the majority, with four conservative justices dissenting.

Published

5 days ago

January 10, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s emergency request to block criminal proceedings in his New York hush money case, ensuring that a sentencing hearing will proceed as scheduled on Friday. The decision makes it official that, on January 20, for the first time in its history, the United States will inaugurate a convicted felon as its president.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court stated that Trump’s concerns could “be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal” and emphasized that the burden of sentencing was “relatively insubstantial” given that Trump will not face prison time. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in the majority, with four conservative justices dissenting.

Trump was convicted in May for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to intervene in a state criminal case, particularly before all appeals in state courts were exhausted.

Trump’s legal team claimed the sentencing process would interfere with his transition to power and argued that evidence introduced during the trial included official actions protected under the Supreme Court’s prior ruling granting former presidents immunity for official conduct. Merchan, the New York judge who presided over the trial, ruled in December that the evidence presented was unrelated to Trump’s duties as president.

Prosecutors dismissed Trump’s objections, stating that the sentencing would take less than an hour and could be attended virtually. They said the public interest in proceeding to sentencing outweighed the President-elect’s claims of undue burden.

Justice Samuel Alito, one of the four dissenting justices, confirmed speaking to Trump by phone on Wednesday. Alito insisted the conversation did not involve the case, though the call drew criticism given his previous refusals to recuse himself from politically sensitive matters.

The sentencing hearing is set for Friday at 9:30 a.m. in Manhattan. As the nation moves closer to an unprecedented inauguration, questions about the implications of a convicted felon assuming the presidency remain.

“No one is above the law,” Bragg said.

Stacy M. Brown

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Barbara Lee Launches Campaign for Mayor of Oakland

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided, but a community united,” she Lee. “If elected I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city, so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

Published

6 days ago

January 8, 2025

Oakland Post

By Post Staff

Barbara Lee on Wednesday morning formally announced her candidacy for Mayor in Oakland’s April 15 special election.

“Time and time again, Oaklanders have faced our toughest obstacles by uniting to meet our challenges,” said Lee.

“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided but a community united,” she said. “If elected, I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas, and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

“As Mayor, I’ll address our homelessness crisis, prioritize comprehensive public safety and mental health services, and lead with fiscal responsibility to deliver the core City services residents and business owners deserve. Let’s do this – together.”

“I’ve never shied away from a challenge,” said Lee. “I’m always ready to fight for Oakland.”

Watch her campaign video here, which is online at BarbaraLee4Oakland.com