How does a city set a price on a wrongful death or a severe injury at the hands of police? How does the settlement for Gray’s family compare to other municipal settlements? Some noteworthy examples from the past 25 years:
- Family of Amadou Diallo: $3 million ($3.8 million in 2015 dollars). Four white officers saw Diallo, a 22-year-old black man, reach for what they thought was a gun. It was his wallet. The New York City officers fired 41 bullets, killing Diallo. All four were acquitted at trial.
Family of James Quarles III: $3 million ($4.3 million in 2015 dollars). Quarles was 22 when he was fatally shot by a Baltimore police officer. He had a knife, but did not raise it, authorities said after the shooting, which was captured on video. The officer who shot him was not charged.
Imagine how the guy in North Carolina who was wrongfully imprisoned for 31 years feels about the meager $750,000 he got compared to that $6.8 million. I bet his family feels cheated.
ReplyDeleteThis was NOT a settlement in any sense of the word. It was a payoff.
ReplyDeleteAt the very minimum a settlement has the blessing of the defendant/defendants, who come to a settlement agreement when and only when they are represented by lawyers who explain to them the benefits and drawbacks of the settlement.
Md tax dollars at work.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem to me that the City Government is "admitting" that the cops that have been charged are in part or all responsible and they have not even had their day in court. After the trial, should everyone be found innocent, would Gray's death be found rightful from his own actions permit Baltimore to ask for their money back. The Blake/Mosbey administration is a joke stemming from race based elections.
ReplyDeleteThe city's insurers would prefer to offer a certain amount without a bit of resistance, than risk being sued and a jury of Freddie's "peers" award a billion or two.
ReplyDeleteI guess black lives really do matter.
ReplyDeleteClaudia B-The city is paying NOT an insurance company-no "insurers" involved. You best believe if an insurance company was paying, this would not have gone off so quickly. It would have been dragged out a minimum of 3 years or more even if they agreed to settle.
ReplyDeleteMaryland is the "Black Hole" of this country. Race will always be a factor in this state. Blacks have no accountability for their actions and have become lawless. Not surprised at the payout.
ReplyDelete