SoFla Sheriff Agrees To Pay $25 Million Settlement for Man Shot by Deputy

A Florida sheriff has agreed to pay nearly $25 million to a black man who became a quadriplegic after being shot by a deputy in 2013.

The Palm Beach Post reported Monday on the settlement between Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and 25-year-old Dontrell Stephens. 

The settlement would cover a restitution payout of $22.4 million that a federal jury awarded Stephens in 2016, plus interest. Bradshaw initially appealed.

Bradshaw already has given Stephens $200,000, the limit government agencies can pay for wrongdoing. Any additional amount must be approved by the legislature in a claims bill.

Court records say Sgt. Adams Lin shot Stephens in September 2013 after stopping Stephens for riding his bike into traffic and mistaking Stephens' cellphone for a gun.


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