City council OKs $365,000 settlement in wrongful death lawsuit against Denver police

DENVER — The Denver City Council approved a $365,000 settlement against the Denver Police Department Monday after police killed one man and injured another in 2018 while mistakenly pursuing who they thought was an escaped jail inmate.

The settlement was approved unanimously without comment from council members. The $365,000 will go to the victims’ families, with payments to be delegated to Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, Bryan and Terrill Law PLLC and Denver Probate Court.

The fatal incident happened on March 19, 2018. According to police reports, officers were staking out a house in Aurora looking for escaped inmate Mauricio Venzor-Gonzalez when they saw two men leave the home and drive away in an SUV.

Officers with the Aurora and Denver police departments chased the SUV, but the driver would not pull over.