City of St. Paul agrees to $1.3M settlement with family of man killed by police 8 years ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Eight years after the deadly Saint Paul police shooting of Marcus Golden, the city is prepared to settle a federal lawsuit from the man’s family for one-point-three million dollars.

Golden, who was black, was shot to death in his SUV during an encounter with a pair of Saint Paul police officers in January 2015. The shooting led to anger, protests, and calls for justice in the streets of the Capital City including a march on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday just days later.

The Saint Paul Police Department did not wear body cameras at the time, and police squad cameras were not rolling.

Authorities concluded Golden drove his vehicle directly at officers, who were justified to fire.

A loaded handgun was reportedly found in the vehicle within arm’s reach of Golden. A grand jury convened in neighboring Washington County failed to indict the two officers.

But Golden’s family never accepted the official narrative, and never stopped fighting for the full story. They eventually filed a federal lawsuit. Golden’s mother Ericka Cullars-Golden told FOX 9 in 2015, "I want to know the little things. I think he was scared and didn't know what was transpiring. He was a good son."

In recent days, a settlement has emerged with the city agreeing to pay the Goldens $1.3M, but not admitting any liability for the 24 year old’s death.

In addition to the financial settlement, the Goldens also get a memorial bench and plaque for Marcus along the lake in Saint Paul’s Como Park.

They also will have a family member appointed to the city’s Neighborhood Safety and Community Council.

The full city council must still vote on the package. That is expected to happen at the regularly scheduled meeting coming up Wednesday afternoon.

The Goldens told FOX 9’s Paul Blume on Monday, they want to wait until the settlement is official before speaking out publicly.