The city of Colorado Springs has agreed to a nearly $3 million settlement with the family of a black teen who was fatally shot by officers in August of 2019.

Nineteen-year-old De'Von Bailey was stopped by three officers because Bailey and another individual he was with matched the description of two suspects who were involved in a nearby armed robbery.

After the officers explained to Bailey that they were going to search him for weapons, Bailey sprinted away from the officers, and a chase ensued. The officers chasing Bailey quickly opened fire, and the teen died after sustaining three gunshot wounds to the back.

In transcripts collected during the trial of the officers, the two officers, Sgt. Alan Van’t Land and Officer Blake Evenson explained that they were certain Bailey had a gun and that they believed he presented a threat to the community. Their belief is what led them to fire the shots that ultimately killed the teen. The officers were tried for charges related to the shooting, but a grand jury unanimously concluded that their actions were justified. The FBI and the US attorney’s office also reviewed the case but declined to bring charges against the officers involved.

This settlement is a result of a civil lawsuit brought forward by the family of the teen against the city. In the lawsuit, the teen’s family detailed allegations of civil rights violations, racial bias in policing, and wrongful death. In addition to the financial payout, the settlement details that the officers with Colorado Springs Police Department will undergo anti-bias training as well.

In a statement made by Bailey's mother Delisha Searcy, she shared that she hoped the settlement would help prevent future altercations with police like the one her son faced. ​​"My heart is broken at the loss of my son, but I am hopeful that the changes in the Colorado Springs Police Department will prevent another family from losing a child," Searcy said.

Colorado Springs mayor John Suthers also shared that the settlement was in the best interest of the taxpayers as a trial could be lengthy and costly. The mayor also detailed that while this was a tragic event, the officers involved were not guilty of any wrongdoing.

The Colorado Springs Police Department echoed this sentiment sharing in a statement of their own, "we want to state unequivocally that this settlement is not, in any way, an admission or indication of wrongdoing by these officers. Rather, it was a decision made to mitigate financial risk to the City and taxpayers."