The City of Boston has agreed to a $4.7 million settlement with the family of Terrence Coleman, a mentally ill Black man shot and killed by police in 2016. The settlement concludes a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Coleman's mother, Hope, over the fatal shooting that occurred after she called 911 seeking help for her son during a mental health crisis.
Terrence Coleman, 31, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was shot at his South End home after his mother contacted emergency services. Former Suffolk County DA Daniel Conley had previously ruled the shooting justified, claiming Coleman posed a danger with a kitchen knife in hand. However, Hope Coleman, in a statement obtained by Boston.com, said that there was "no reason for the Boston police to kill my son."
According to a statement released by her legal team, Hope Coleman expressed the deep pain she felt witnessing her son's death at the hands of the police and emphasized the long struggle for justice. "No mother should have to witness her child killed at the hands of police, and fight, the way that I have had to fight now for so many years, to gain accountability," she said. The lawsuit highlighted serious issues in the Boston Police Department's and Emergency Medical Services' preparation to address mental health emergencies safely.
An increase in fatalities involving police responses to mental health crises has been observed, a claim supported by a 2023 Boston Globe review cited by the Boston Herald. The city council has previously proposed redirecting such calls away from police to trained public health officials, but, these changes have yet to be formalized. William Fick, one of Hope's attorneys, told Boston.com, "BPD and BEMS remain woefully unprepared to handle such situations safely."
The settlement will distribute approximately $3.4 million to Hope Coleman and her son's estate, with the remaining $1.2 million going toward legal costs. It does not include an admission of liability from the city, which asserted its support for the officers involved, describing the situation as "incredibly difficult." the city spokesperson conveyed condolences to Terrence's family, noting ongoing investments in alternative response programs for mental health incidents.
