The city of Virginia Beach plans to compensate the family of Pharrell Williams' cousin Donovan Lynch after a police officer fatally shot Lynch last year.
According to a report Billboard published on Thursday, December 15, a settlement was reached by city officials and Lynch's father Wayne Lynch, who filed a $50 million-dollar wrongful death lawsuit in November 2021. The lawsuit alleged that police officer Solomon D. Simmons "unlawfully and without warning fired his police-issued firearm at Mr. Lynch, shooting him twice and killing him." Although a jury previously found that Simmons was "justified," the city and Lynch's family said they reportedly "learned more facts" about the incident.
"We have come to understand that a series of unfortunate occurrences led to Donovon’s death that night – which in hindsight should never have occurred as it was later determined that neither Donovon nor the officer set in motion the events that transpired," the statement said.
The 25-year-old former college football player was at a nightclub with a friend when a shooting occurred outside. After he left with his friend, Lynch ran into Lynch who then fired his weapon twice. A special jury found that Simmons was justified because authorities claimed Lynch had a loaded gun and pointed it into a police and a crowd of people. The statement doesn't describe the new details about the case. Nonetheless, the Lynch family will receive a $3 million settlement payment.
"The City and Lynch family have mutually reached this agreement and will move toward healing and closure," the statement concluded. "We also hope this resolution will elevate our common humanity and how we all treat each other in Virginia Beach, the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout our nation."
The settlement comes shortly after Pharrell announced his intention to bring his Something In The Water festival back to its birthplace. Skateboard P decided to move the festival to Washington D.C. and cited the city's "toxic energy" following his cousin's death. During the second day of the Mighty Dream Forum in Norfolk, Va. last month, the N.E.R.D. co-founder revealed the upcoming dates for SITW.
"This is really about the 757. It's always been about the 757," Pharrell said. "Something In The Water is returning to Virginia Beach in 2023. The festival will be back [on] the last weekend in April, the 28th, the 29th and the 30th."