A California city has agreed to pay $160,000 to the family of a man who was fatally shot by police after he began brandishing a huge knife on a light rail train.
The city of Sacramento will fork out the sum to Derick Day, the father of Dante Dwaine Day, 44, who was shot and killed by officers during a confrontation on a Regional Transit train near Sacramento City College in August 2023.
The settlement resolved a federal civil rights case brought by the grieving father and was finalized earlier this month without an admission of wrongdoing.
‘I just want the situation to be better for other people,’ Derick said Thursday. ‘If they will look into a situation where they can save a life rather than take a life.’
The chaos unfolded after frightened passengers called 911 to report a man carrying a ‘machete type of knife’ on a Blue Line train.Â
Riders fled the rail car, leaving Day alone when police arrived.
Body camera footage showed Day seated on the train wearing a red shirt, visibly distressed, repeatedly telling officers he was afraid.Â
‘I’m scared of you all, bro,’ Day said. ‘Please, please, please, sir. Please, I know you all got to do your job, but I’m scared of you all right now.’
Sacramento agreed to pay $160,000 to settle a lawsuit over the 2023 police shooting of Dante Dwaine Day, who was wielding a knife
Police bodycam footage shows an officer firing bean bag rounds at Day
Officers discussed non-lethal options and fired bean-bag rounds after Day stood up holding the knife, but the tactic failed to stop him.Â
Body-camera footage shows Day continuing to move toward police with the weapon in hand, prompting officers to open fire.Â
He was struck multiple times and died at the scene.Â
Attorney John Burris, who represented Day’s father, argued officers failed to call a crisis intervention specialist and did not adequately de-escalate the situation, despite what he said were clear signs of a mental health emergency.
In December 2024, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing, ruling the shooting justified under self-defense laws.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, James Cook, who represented Day in court, said the following: ‘This case was difficult for the family and the officers alike. Both sides did the best they could in terms of crafting a resolution. From our perspective, we want to make sure that law enforcement officers use de-escalation techniques, when they encounter subjects affected by mental health crises. It is important for law enforcement to consider the utility tactical time, distance, communication, and repositioning to resolve these situations.’
The review also disclosed that Day had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The Daily Mail has contacted the city of Sacramento for comment.
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California police pay out $160,000 to family of lunatic who was shot for wielding a knife on a train