SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A police officer who fatally shot a Black teenager who was running away from a gunman listed himself as an acting detective after the deadly shooting that prompted the city to pay the teen’s family what’s believed to be the largest settlement in U.S. history following a police shooting.
“This was a white cop who killed a Black kid, and he was running, running from danger toward safety and safety killed him,” said Nick Rowley, the attorney who represented Konoa Wilson’s parents.
Wilson was a 16-year-old boy who was running away from gunfire when Officer Daniel Gold shot him in the back last January outside Santa Fe Depot on Kettner Blvd.
Gold listed himself as “A/Det. D. Gold” in police communications, including on November 12, 2025, in a case bulletin, just weeks before the city council agreed to give the Wilson family $30 million dollars to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.
“What message does this send to the family, to the people of San Diego? This is insane,” Rowley said.
Officer hasn’t received a promotion: SDPD
Team 10 became aware of internal bulletins where Gold was listed as an acting detective shortly after the city announced the settlement last December.
A detective position comes with higher pay and added responsibilities, so we asked the police department for an explanation and received a statement from the police force.
“Officer Gold is working in an administrative capacity. He has not received a promotion or pay increase,” Ashley Nicholes, the communications manager for the chief’s office, said in a December 19 statement.
But soon after, the department released redacted copies of the police bulletins to the city’s public records website.
‘The community is frustrated’ police accountability activist
“A/Det. D. Gold #1885” is listed on four of the documents that were distributed internally within the department.
“I would say I find it shocking, but having been doing this work for as long as I have, (the) San Diego Police Department does nothing that shocks me,” said Tasha Williamson, a police accountability activist, who put in a public records request to the city for the bulletins.
The community member said the documents left her with the impression that Gold, who had been with the force for two years at the time of the fatal January 2025 shooting, had been promoted after the shooting.
“I was pissed because I know being white effectively makes you better in this department because this department has so much racism within it,” she said.
The police department has been accused several times over the years of having a racism problem within its ranks.
Just last month, the city agreed to pay $250,000 to an officer who alleged she was retaliated against after reporting racial bias during a police stop.
“The community is frustrated, and they're angry,” said Williamson.
After we pointed out the documents that listed Gold as an acting detective, the police department said it addressed the issue.
“The title stated on the flyer was addressed as soon as it was brought to the department’s attention. Officer Gold is working in an administrative capacity as a police officer, which includes administrative tasks such as disseminating information/flyers and assisting with follow-up on cases,” Nicholes said in an email.
Rowley said Konoa’s parents are outraged and would like an explanation from the police force.
“How did they address it? If he was, if he's now holding himself out as a detective, and he's not really a detective, then how did they address it?”
Nicholes told Team 10 that Gold is allowed to carry his service weapon because he’s still a police officer.
This caught Rowley off guard.
“We were informed, and we believed that he was on suspension, that he was not an officer who had a gun anymore. That was my understanding.”
‘We need some answers’
Rowley is calling on the San Diego City Council and Mayor Todd Gloria to look into the matter.
“I hope that they act. I hope that they investigate this and that everybody, most importantly, the parents and the people of San Diego get the answers that they deserve.”
He said there appears to be a lack of accountability and said he was left with the impression the city took Konoa’s death very seriously.
“The city council needs to look into this. The mayor needs to look into this. And we need some answers.”
The San Diego County District Attorney told Team 10 the fatal shooting remains under review.
Gold didn’t return a request for comment. We asked the police department for an interview with Police Chief Scott Wahl, but our request was ignored.
Investigative Reporter Austin Grabish can be reached at austin.grabish@10news.com
