The estate of Teresa Gomez and the City of Las Cruces, N.M., agreed to a $20 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit over her killing by a police officer, reports the Las Cruces Sun-News. It was the largest civil lawsuit settlement in the city's history. Gomez, 45, was shot by police officer Felipe Hernandez in October 2023. Family members said they "trust that the city will redouble efforts to make sure no other family suffers the tragedy of losing a loved one to abusive police conduct," their attorney said. Hernandez was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement. He was fired.
The lawsuit charged that Hernandez violated Gomez's Fourth Amendment rights when he detained Gomez by ordering her to exit her car and show her identification without reasonable suspicion or probable cause that she was committing a crime. The shooting occurred when Hernandez, riding a bicycle, approached Gomez while she sat in a parked car with another person, the Associated Press reports. authorities said. Body camera video shows Hernandez shot Gomez three times as she tried to drive away. Hernandez is scheduled to be tried on June 2.
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