The San Diego police officer who shot and killed a 16-year-old teen at the Santa Fe Train Depot in January 2025, resulting in a $30 million settlement agreement between the city and the boy’s family, will not be charged in the shooting.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephen’s Office determined there was not enough evidence to charge Officer Daniel Gold for the killing of Konoa Wilson.
In a Friday press release, the District Attorney’s Office said Gold believed another officer was in danger when he heard the shots. As Gold rushed to his colleague’s defense, the teen was running away from the shooter. As Wilson exited the tunnel, Gold was about to enter and fired his weapon, killing the boy.
One of the reasons for not pressing charges, according to the release, was that Gold suspected the teen was the shooter and not the victim due to the placement of Wilson’s right hand as he ran.
“When [Wilson] exited the corridor and suddenly came into Gold’s view, [Wilson] was in close proximity to Gold,” reads the DA’s statement. “[Wilson] was running with his right hand at his waistband. Gold’s training and his experience led him to believe [Wilson] was reaching for a firearm. Gold did not perceive [Wilson] to be a victim.”
The DA’s decision not to press charges comes nearly a year after the city of San Diego agreed to pay Wilson’s family $30 million to settle their wrongful death lawsuit. The settlement was one of the largest police wrongful death payouts in the country’s history.
“The loss of this young person’s life is devastating,” reads the release. “Our extensive review of the totality of the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident lead us to the conclusion that criminal charges against Gold could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The DA’s office, however, fell short of ruling the shooting justifiable.
“We are not able to make a determination that Gold’s actions were justified, rather we have determined the evidence does not demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Gold’s belief was unreasonable,” officials said of the officer’s stated concern that Wilson was reaching for a firearm.
Meanwhile, government accountability group First Amendment Coalition and others still want answers about the internal investigation, why the city agreed to settle the lawsuit after only a few months and why the department refuses to turn over all of the records and recordings from the fatal shooting.
