The city of Mission and two of its police officers have settled with a 53-year-old man who was shot in the stomach with a breaching round at his parents’ home on Jan. 9, 2017.
Steven J. Wilson, who suffers from schizophrenia, sued the city of Mission and officers Teodoro Rodriguez Jr. and Jaime Solis, alleging excessive force.
The attorneys filed a notice of settlement in the case on Nov. 6 and asked for 30 days to exchange settlement documents before both sides plan to ask a federal judge to dismiss the case.
The details of the settlement aren’t included in the court record.
Mission police responded to Wilson’s parents’ house after receiving complaints that the man was running naked through the streets and masturbating in public.
Wilson’s attorneys say he had a mental health episode that night.
Mission police arrested the man after he barricaded himself in a room the same evening and authorities alleged he threatened his parents.
Solis, who admitted in a deposition to shooting Wilson, was not trained in the use of a less-lethal shotgun, but contended the shooting was justified because Wilson threatened his parents, law enforcement and made fumbling movements under a blanket right before the shooting.
Rodriguez, who was Solis’ supervisor, had provided the officer with a no-range shotgun that was supposed to be loaded with a non-lethal bean bag round, court records state.
That weapon, however, was instead loaded with a breaching round that is used to gain entry through locked doors.
Rodriguez served a suspension and Solis was reprimanded for not telling his supervisor that he wasn’t trained in the use of the weapon.
Mission police charged Wilson with public lewdness and terroristic threat of a family household, both class A misdemeanors. Wilson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 52 days of times served in jail after he recovered from the shooting.
The parties are scheduled to meet in December to finalize the settlement.
