After years of litigation, Fick & Marx, along with Lawyers for Civil Rights, reached a settlement for $4.7 million in the federal civil rights lawsuit that we brought on behalf of our client, Hope Coleman, against the City of Boston and several other defendants for the fatal police shooting of Hope’s son, Terrence, a young Black man who was struggling with mental health issues at the time of his tragic death outside the family home.
For nearly 8 years, since her son was shot and killed on his front steps in 2016, Hope Coleman fought for justice and reform. From the night of the fatal shooting, which occurred shortly after Hope called 911 for an ambulance to transport Terrence to the hospital for medical attention, she has been a stalwart advocate for those who have experienced the pain of losing children and loved ones to police violence.
As LCR Deputy Litigation Director Sophia Hall said, “It is shameful that the City of Boston fought a grieving mother tooth-and-nail for so long.” Nevertheless, through a combination of creative strategy and aggressive advocacy, Fick & Marx and LCR uncovered damning evidence that forced the City to the negotiating table. Along the way, the federal judge overseeing the case repeatedly sanctioned the City for its litigation conduct, including threatening to issue a default judgment for failing to turn over critical documents.
“It was a great privilege to represent Hope Coleman, who has shown tremendous strength and courage throughout this terrible ordeal,” said Daniel Marx. “We are pleased she will finally obtain some measure of justice for Terrence and hope this settlement helps her to move forward with her life. But at the same time, the way that the City of Boston defended this case, by withholding evidence from Ms. Coleman, violating court orders, and provoking a federal judge to threaten a default judgment raises real concerns about whether the City is serious about accountability, transparency, and reform.”
“This lawsuit uncovered grave deficiencies in the readiness of Boston Police and EMS to serve persons in mental health crisis,” added William Fick. “More than a decade after a BPD rule designed to de-escalate encounters with emotionally disturbed persons was first proposed, and many years after Terrence was killed, BPD and BEMS remain woefully unprepared to handle such situations safely.”
“Sadly, we have an epidemic of police violence in the US, and Massachusetts is not immune to that problem. Young black men and persons with mental health issues, like Terrence, are the primary targets of that violence,” said Amy Barsky, senior counsel at Fick & Marx and a member of the team that represented Ms. Coleman. “This tragic situation must change, and we hope that his lawsuit will help to move things in the right direction,” Barsky added.
The case received extensive media coverage. The Boston Globe reported on the fatal shooting, civil-rights lawsuit, and litigation misconduct by the City. It also reported on the settlement, as did WBUR, Law360, and other outlets.
“There is an epidemic of police violence in the US, and Massachusetts is not immune to it, but we hope this lawsuit and settlement will move things in the right direction.”