Mother of Utah man shot by police settles lawsuit

A settlement has been reached in the civil lawsuit filed by Susan Hunt, the mother of a 22-year-old man who was shot and killed by Saratoga Springs police while carrying a costume samurai sword.

Darrien Hunt was pursued by Saratoga Springs officers who shot and killed him in September 2014 after a 911 caller reported a man carrying a samurai sword in the city. His parents filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city in 2015.

Last February, a federal judge ruled that a $900,000 settlement agreement that Susan Hunt's attorney had reached with the city of Saratoga Springs must be accepted, despite the woman's assertions that her former attorney wrongly took the deal on her behalf.

Judge Tena Campbell ruled that evidence showed attorney Robert Sykes had the authority to settle the case, and Hunt couldn't back out — a decision that the woman had been appealing with new lawyers.

But earlier this week, Campbell signed an order settling the case once and for all: Susan Hunt would receive $357,000, the law firm representing Darrien Hunt's father was to receive $333,000, and Sykes' firm would receive $210,000.

Susan Hunt's attorney, Clemens Landau, told The Associated Press that the final settlement was acceptable to the mother.

At a rally in 2015, Susan Hunt told reporters that she had rejected the settlement because it contained a clause that would prohibit her from commenting publicly about the case.

The Utah County Attorney found that the two officers were justified in using deadly force.

In their lawsuit, which initially sought $2 million in damages, the Hunt family alleged that Darrien Hunt was shot as he was falling or already on the ground after he ran from the two officers, Saratoga Springs Cpl. Matthew Schauerhamer and Officer Nicholas Judson.

Darrien Hunt was shot six times by the two officers.

jmiller@sltrib.com