In late August 2023, a tragic incident on a Sacramento light‑rail train prompted the city to agree to a $160,000 settlement with the father of Dante Dwaine Day, a 44‑year‑old who was shot by police.
The day began abruptly when a frantic 911 call described a man with a “machete type of knife” that was “as long as my arm” stalking a Blue‑Line train at the Sacramento City College station. Passengers were scared to stay on the platform, leaving Day alone on the train.
Body‑camera footage showed Day sitting in a red shirt, holding a blade, while officers repeatedly told him not to seize the weapon. When de‑escalation attempts failed, officers aimed a bean‑bag shotgun at Day. Rather than surrendering, he lunged toward them, prompting one officer to discharge a lethal round, killing him.
Day’s father hired attorney John Burris, who alleged that Day was experiencing a severe mental‑health crisis and that the officers didn’t call in a crisis‑intervention specialist.
The lawsuit claimed the officers failed to use non‑lethal methods appropriately and that Day, while armed, did not threaten anyone. Burris noted that Day repeatedly said he was scared and begged the officers not to kill him.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office later ruled the shooting a lawful use of self‑defense, citing that the officers had legitimate reasons to fear for their safety. Still, the city chose to settle the civil suit, paying $160,000 as part of a broader agreement to resolve federal claims that the officers should have known about Day’s mental‑state.
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