Aurora will pay the largest settlement in the city’s history for the March 2015 shooting death of an unarmed black man by a city police officer, and its police department has made a series of changes to improve oversight of officer conduct in the wake of the case.

The family of Naeschylus Carter-Vinzant will receive $2.6 million for his death in an officer-involved shooting where no criminal charges were filed. The settlement also includes massive changes for the Aurora Police Department in an effort to improve community relations and better monitor police actions.

City officials held a news conference Monday to announce the settlement, which must be approved in probate court. They read from scripted statements and said they were bound by confidentiality agreements from making further comments.

The Carter-Vinzant family issued a statement through its attorneys, saying the family appreciated the city’s response to the tragedy. The family had hired the Rathod Mohamedbhai law firm after the shooting. No lawsuit was filed.

While the two sides were tight-lipped, some outside the negotiations see the agreement as a positive, although costly, one for the city because it involves changes at the police department and a peaceful resolution.

“I haven’t heard of those things in other places,” said Levester Lyons, president of the NAACP’s Aurora chapter. “I’m somewhat in shock. I think it’s a good step.”

Carter-Vinzant, 37, was killed March 6, 2015, by Officer Paul Jerothe, who is white. Jerothe fired one shot as SWAT officers were trying to serve an arrest warrant after Carter-Vinzant had removed an ankle bracelet required as part of his parole conditions.

Carter-Vinzant ran when officers closed in and he had his right hand in his right pocket as if he might be hiding something, a grand jury report said.

Carter-Vinzant was facing Jerothe when he began removing his hand from his pocket. Jerothe fired a shot with his rifle, striking Carter-Vinzant in the chest, the report said. No other officers fired their weapons.

Jerothe is a decorated officer who was recognized for his actions during the Aurora movie theater shooting.

The case was presented to an Arapahoe County grand jury by 1st Judicial District Attorney Pete Weir, who had been appointed as a special prosecutor. No charges were brought.

Jerothe has been on administrative duties since the shooting, and police Chief Nick Metz said department leaders would work with his chain of command to determine what role he would have in the future at the department.

The settlement was reached after months of lengthy negotiations between Aurora’s city attorney, city management and an insurance carrier, said Mike Hyman, the city attorney.

“Early settlement of this matter was actively sought in an effort to resolve this matter before the parties engaged in what would have been an extremely lengthy, costly, stressful and divisive process,” Hyman said.

The shooting led to protests in the community and demands for answers from Carter-Vinzant’s family. It also happened within days of Metz’s arrival as the new police chief.

Since then, Metz has made multiple changes to the department’s policies, especially those involving officer discipline.

Those changes included a reorganization of the department’s internal affairs bureau, a rewrite of its use-of-force policy, the creation of a compliance and professional standards division, and the establishment of an independent review board, which consists of citizens appointed by city council to look into police misconduct and recommend discipline.

It was unclear how many of Metz’s changes were part of the agreement, but Hyman said non-economic terms were in place to confirm the police department’s “commitment to community policing, self-evaluation, transparency and tactical improvements.”

Aurora police worked to prevent civil unrest after the shooting and to prove they could participate in constructive dialogue about modern policing, Metz said.

“This is a tragic event for everyone involved,” he said. “In other communities, such an event could have resulted in violence and a breakdown of police-community relations. Here in Aurora, it was noticeably different.”

The Carter-Vinzant family applauded changes the department had made as a result of the shooting death.

“Aurora has maintained throughout this process that it wanted to make the best of this unimaginable tragedy,” the statement said. “The family knows that nothing will make them whole again. Rather than allow this tragedy to divide the community, Aurora has honored the family’s wishes by using Naeshcylus’s death as an occasion for introspection and positive changes in its police department.”

The family noted that additional changes included increased use of body cameras, a commitment to create a diverse police force, the establishment of a Citizen Advisory Board to advise the department on strategic planning and policies and the development of a blue ribbon panel to advise the department on police tactics.

The family also said it appreciated the sincerity and kindness offered by Aurora city officials and Metz.

“Chief Metz has met with the family many times since Mr. Carter’s death, always listening to and respecting the family’s concerns,” the statement said. “He has shown a genuine determination to improve the Aurora Police Department while honoring the difficult work performed everyday by his officers.”

At a news conference, Hyman, Metz and city manager Skip Noe insisted the settlement was in the best interest of the city and the Carter-Vinzant family.

“This settlement will hopefully allow everyone to begin the healing process and to close a chapter that has been difficult for all parties involved,” Noe said.

Still, only time will tell how sincere Aurora has been with its policing changes and what kind of difference it will make, Lyons said.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen with the next one,” he said. “I pray everyone stays peaceful and continues to work on these problems.”