Family of slain teen Dylan Noble reaches settlement with city of Fresno

Attorneys for the parents of Dylan Noble, an unarmed teen shot to death by Fresno police during a traffic stop in 2016, have reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit filed against the city.

Court documents show the two sides reached an agreement during a settlement conference on Friday. No further information was included in the one-page order, signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stanley Boone. The two sides began mediation on July 18.

A jury trial date had been set for June 25, 2019, which would have been the three-year anniversary of Noble’s death.

Noble, 19, was killed on June 25, 2016. His last moments were captured by police-worn body camera, and Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer ruled the shootings justified. The officers believed Noble could be armed, and body camera footage showed Noble reached toward his waistband and move toward officers, Dyer said.

However, the city’s Office of Independent Review ruled the shooting “not within policy.”

The Fresno County District Attorney’s office chose not to file any charges against the two officers, Raymond Camacho and Robert Chavez. The Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation into the shooting but never shared any conclusions with the public or Noble’s attorneys.

Noble’s death made national news and sent shockwaves through the community. Vigils and protests were held for months after the shooting, and Noble’s mother, Veronica Nelson, continued to stage weekly protest events outside of police headquarters for more than a year.

Nelson was represented by Stuart Chandler. Warren Paboojian represented Darren Noble, the slain man’s father.

The city was represented by Los Angeles firm Manning & Kass.

The lawsuit was originally filed in Fresno County Superior Court in August 2016, then amended for federal court in November 2016.

The two sides fought bitterly during the discovery phase, in which attorneys for both sides share their evidence. The city demanded its evidence remain private, while Chandler and Paboojian wanted the information made public.

Chandler and Paboojian also fought for original, unredacted copies of various city records – including the Office of Independent Review’s report. They received satisfactory copies in March, after a judge ordered the city to turn them over.

The settlement figure will likely have to be approved by the Fresno City Council.

The largest settlement against the city in a police shooting was $2.2 million in 2016. The parents of Jaime Reyes Jr., 28, sued the city after he was shot while climbing a fence at Aynesworth Elementary School in southeast Fresno in the afternoon of June 6, 2012.

The Noble case’s extremely high publicity and public outcry – protests took place outside Fresno police headquarters for over a year – were expected to raise any settlement number above that.

In July, both Chandler and Paboojian said any settlement would also have to include significant change to Fresno police policies.

“Veronica Nelson has made it clear from the beginning that she wants to see some changes in police department policy and practices to help minimize the chance of some other mother’s child being wrongfully shot and killed by Fresno police,” Chandler said.

Chandler, Paboojian and Chief Assistant City Attorney Francine Kanne, who speaks for the city on this matter, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

This story was originally published August 1, 2018 at 4:56 PM.