Virginia Beach will pay a $3 million settlement over the fatal police shooting of Pharrell’s cousin, Donovon Lynch.
In a joint statement shared this week, the City of Virginia Beach and Lynch’s family announced they had agreed to a $3 million settlement in connection with the fatal March 2021 shooting.
“As we have learned more over time about the facts of that fateful night and encounter, 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 joint statement said.
Complex has reached out to a City of Virginia Beach rep for additional comment. This story may be updated.
In June of last year, it was reported that Lynch’s family had filed a $50 million federal lawsuit against the city, as well as officer Solomon Simmons III, in connection with the fatal shooting. Pharrell himself has also spoken out about the killing of his cousin, including in a since-removed Instagram post last March in which he called for “transparency, honesty, and justice” for his family.
Late last year, Pharrell threatened to pull his Something in the Water festival from the city (his hometown), citing “toxic energy” in a Variety-shared letter to the city manager.
“When we did the festival, it was to ease racial tension, to unify the region, bring about economic development opportunities, and broaden the horizons of the local business community,” Pharrell said at the time. “We achieved those things! I wish the same energy I’ve felt from Virginia Beach leadership upon losing the festival would have been similarly channeled following the loss of my relative’s life.”
Ultimately, the 2022 edition of the festival was held in Washington D.C.
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