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Fresno Cops Killed Man After Mistaking Water Nozzle for Gun. How Much Will City Pay?
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 3 years ago on
June 21, 2022

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The city of Fresno will pay over a half-million dollars to settle a wrongful death case dating back to 2015, the attorney representing the family of the deceased tells GV Wire.

Fresno police shot and killed Freddy Centeno, 40, because they believed he had a weapon in his hand. It turned out to be a garden hose nozzle.

Centeno was shot nine times and died 23 days later.

Montebello-based attorney Humberto Guizar represented Centeno’s estranged daughter, Channel Centeno, who was awarded $600,000.

“We feel that justice was done because there’s a recognition that there was wrong, even though the settlement agreement says there isn’t wrong,” Guizar tells GV Wire. “After protracted litigation for a significant period of time, we feel that justice was served.”

Reports at the time said Centeno was behaving erratically, knocking on doors claiming to be a law enforcement agent. Police shot Centeno to death after confronting him.

Fresno Police would not comment on the settlement, but an official said that the two officers involved in the shooting death are still working for the city.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Centeno’s daughter and parents, said police used excessive force on someone they should have known was mentally ill.

Guizar said a trial could have yielded more damages.

“It was a big risk to go and try to get more. The client was happy with the resolution of the case,” Guizar said.

City Discussed Case in Closed Session

The Fresno City Council discussed the case in closed session on June 16, but did not acknowledge any vote taken. The best Guizar could say is that the settlement is “pending approval.”

A June 7 court filing in Fresno County Superior Court said a conditional settlement was reached and the lawsuit would be dismissed by Sept. 30.

The city has not responded to a request for comment. A public records act request for the actual settlement document is pending.

City council insiders have told GV Wire that it is becoming common practice for the council to pre-approve a settlement amount and empower the city attorney to negotiate. If the settlement is accepted, the council can then ratify it without taking a formal vote, thus no action has to be reported publicly under open meeting laws. The actual settlement documents are a matter of public record, however.

The city council used a similar tactic in its 2021 wrongful termination settlement with former city clerk Yvonne Spence.

Case Moved from Court to Court

The case has gone from state court, where it was initially filed in 2016, to federal court and back.

The city moved the case to federal court, where it filed for a summary judgement — an immediate ruling based on the facts of the case.

Guizar explained that a summary judgement in the city’s favor was initially denied, but reversed on federal appeal, because of the police officers’ “qualified immunity.”

Qualified immunity is the legal concept that public officials are exempt from liability when performing duties reasonably, according to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. The concept received more scrutiny following the 2020 death of George Floyd.

“(The court ruled) that the officers could not have known under the particular facts of the case that Mr. Centeno only had a water hose nozzle instead of a gun, that the officer reasonably believed that he had a gun. And so their use of force was reasonable,” Guizar said.

Guizar said the only legal avenue his clients had left was to question the tactics used by the officers.

“We litigated it for another two years in state court. We were ready for trial and we finally were able to reach a resolution with the city of Fresno for $600,000,” Guizar said.

Centeno’s parents were also initially listed as plaintiffs but were dismissed from the case, when a judge dropped an excessive force claim.

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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