Featured

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

5 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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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

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.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Post

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.