According to the Press Democrat, Sonoma County has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit for $612,500 with the family of David Peláez-Chavez, who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy nearly three years ago.
Peláez-Chavez was fatally shot by Deputy Michael Dietrick in July 2022 after a pursuit. Dietrick claimed he feared Peláez-Chavez was reaching for a rock. Neither the District Attorney nor the Sheriff’s Office found grounds for criminal charges or policy violations.
The family’s attorney says the settlement, though smaller than some, will be “life-changing” for Peláez-Chavez’s mother and children. This marks another payout for Sonoma County in a series of Sheriff’s Office use-of-force cases.