Reports: Richard Sabo's Widow To Receive $175,000 In Settlement

The News-Herald is reporting that Dian Sabo -- the widow of Richard Sabo, who was fatally shot by a Mentor police officer -- will receive $175,000 in the settlement of her wrongful death lawsuit.

However, neither the city nor Sabo will confirm the amount, citing confidentiality.

The News-Herald also quoted Sabo as saying she didn't settle. When asked about it, Sabo clarified that she meant the process was not finalized and likely would not be until after the holidays.

Sabo confirmed that that they agree upon. Additionally, the case lawsuit has been dismissed from U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin's court.

Mentor Law Director Richard Hennig said the settlement does not suggest Sgt. Scott Tkach did anything wrong when he shot Richard Sabo.

Instead, the decision to settle was made by the city's insurance company.

"When (the suit) was filed, insurance executives in Scottsdale, AZ, had a roundtable and came up with a number they would be willing to settle on," Hennig said.

Hennig added that, if the city had refused to settle, they would have been liable for any amount awarded to the plaintiff beyond the proposed settlement amount.

who shot 72-year-old Feb. 5, 2009, outside of his Roselawn Drive home.

Sabo had been acting unusually that afternoon of the fatal shooting, so his family called for paramedics. However, when paramedics arrived, Sabo would not cooperate with them.

Paramedics claimed Sabo mentioned getting a gun, so they evacuated the house and took Dian Sabo with them as a safety precaution.

Police responded to the scene, including Tkach. After a brief standoff, Richard Sabo came out of the house with a shotgun. Police said that Sabo pointed the shotgun at police and Tkach fired a single bullet that went through Sabo's lungs and heart, killing him.

Since Sabo's death, the family has maintained that Tkach never actually saw Richard aim his gun.

In addition to Tkach, Dian Sabo filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Mentor and several other unnamed police officers and firefighters.

Last year, however, U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin dismissed all charges against the city of Mentor but not Tkach last year.