Louisville Metro Settles with Wicker Family for $1.25 Million
Background
The Family of Darnell Wicker has agreed to a $1.25 million settlement in a case where they challenged the fatal shooting of Darnell Wicker by an LMPD officer. The case challenged the unconstitutional use of deadly force on Mr. Wicker.
Approach & Resolution
Darnell was holding a tree pruning saw on August 8, 2016 when he was shot in the doorway of his apartment. He was complying with a command to drop the saw when he was shot.
In fact, the saw was at his side, pointed away from the officers when he was shot. Lead counsel Al Gerhardstein stated, “The case helped establish that Metro must allow time for suspects to follow commands, use Leica and other investigative tools they have for thorough investigations, and implement an officer early warning system. Metro had scanned the area with a Leica camera, but it was the plaintiffs who retained an expert and used the Leica data to demonstrate that the officers had ample time to de-escalate.” Darnell’s daughters are seeking to mount a public plaque commemorating Mr. Wicker who was an avid bicyclist. This case was litigated by Sam Aguiar, Alphonse Gerhardstein, and Adam Gerhardstein.