Denver Agrees To $1M Settlement To Family Of Slain Teen
Audio: CPR’s Nathaniel Minor Reports On Denver’s $1M Settlement Over Slain Teen
The city of Denver on Wednesday announced it has agreed to pay $1 million to the family of Jessica Hernandez, a teenager shot and killed by police two years ago.
The city made a number of other commitments to Jessica’s parents, from involving the family in the department’s reform efforts to improving relations with the LGBTQ community. Hernandez was gay.
The settlement closes one chapter in a case that drew national attention. But Laura Rosales and Jose Hernandez, Jessica’s parents, said in Spanish that the pain from her death will not go away anytime soon.
“We want peace,” Rosales said through tears to a group of reporters. “But I know we don’t have it because she’s not home anymore. It’s not the same. She was the sunshine of my house.”
City officials said the settlement will allow all parties to move forward. The family’s attorney, Qusair Mohamedbhai, said they wanted to avoid a lawsuit that probably would have dragged on for years.