Uribe civil case settles for $5 million

Uribe civil case settles for $5 million

DOJ investigation still listed as open

By Honey Badger  |  September 18, 2026

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. — A reported $5 million settlement has ended the civil lawsuit over the fatal police shooting of Jesus Corona Uribe, while California’s independent investigation remains publicly listed as open.

As of September 17, 2026, the California Department of Justice lists the March 4, 2025 shooting as “Under Investigation.” Its entry for case BI-LA2025-00051 names Mammoth Lakes officers Brian Madera and Dennis Saulque. DOJ says its Assembly Bill 1506 investigations examine fatal police shootings of unarmed civilians for potential criminal liability.

The Sheet reported September 10 that the settlement agreement was dated July 7, 2026, and the case was dismissed with prejudice September 1 following judicial review. The agreement included no admission of wrongdoing, and the Town and officers denied liability.

In that report, Town Manager Rob Patterson said the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority would cover the settlement, with Mammoth Lakes facing estimated premium increases of $140,000 annually for five years beginning in fiscal year 2027–28. That would total approximately $700,000 in additional premiums, not repayment of the entire settlement.

The lawsuit named the Town, its police department and four officers. A Town Council agenda identified it as Successors to Jesus Uribe Corona v. Mammoth Lakes Police Department, case No. 25UCM62.

According to the police department’s initial release, officers responded around 11:40 a.m. to reports of a man throwing rocks at passing vehicles near the Mammoth Lakes Branch Library. Officers arrived about one minute later. Police said Uribe held multiple rocks, did not comply with commands and ran toward officers. He was shot and later pronounced dead at Mammoth Hospital.

The department released a critical-incident video March 27, 2025. In a statement issued that day, the family’s attorneys said the two officers who fired were not wearing body cameras.

Uribe’s family has disputed the justification for deadly force. “The video demonstrates that the police’s use of deadly force was completely unnecessary,” attorney Will Horowitz said in the statement published by Qureshi Law.

The family’s attorneys described Uribe as experiencing an apparent mental-health crisis and said he had not thrown a rock at officers and was at a safe distance. Those assertions remain the family’s position, not findings established by the settlement.

DOJ announced its independent investigation on the day of the shooting. Its announcement said the completed investigation would go to its Special Prosecutions Section for independent review. The September 17 public listing does not specify whether that handoff has occurred or give a completion date.

DOJ says that when criminal charges are not appropriate, it issues a public report explaining the facts, legal analysis and reasons for its decision, with policy recommendations where applicable.

The Sheet’s employment reporting said both shooting officers returned from administrative leave. Saulque later joined the Bishop Police Department, a move reported in February 2026; Madera remained employed by Mammoth Lakes in the September settlement report.

The civil resolution and DOJ’s review answer different questions. A settlement ends the lawsuit; it does not determine whether criminal charges are warranted. DOJ’s September 17 listing identifies the shooting as under investigation.