On August 1, 2016, a 23-year-old woman in Baltimore, Maryland, was involved in an alleged standoff with Baltimore County police. She allegedly had a shotgun, and her 5-year-old son was nearby. An officer allegedly fired a “blind shot” through drywall, striking the woman in the back and the child in the face. The same officer than allegedly approached the woman and shot her three more times and the son once in the arm. The woman died and the child survived but suffers from post-traumatic stress. On February 16, 2018, a federal jury awarded more than $38 million to the family, in connection with the death and the injuries suffered by the son.
The child who was shot, Kodi Gaines, is now 6 years old; he was awarded more than $32.8 million. Kodi’s younger sister, who was not in the apartment when the alleged shooting occurred, was awarded more than $4.5 million. The parents of the deceased were awarded $300,000 each, and the estate of the deceased was also awarded $300,000.
The trial lasted about three weeks, and the all-female jury deliberated for less than three hours before arriving at the 38-million-dollar verdict.
The Baltimore County attorney, Mike Field, announced that the county is reviewing options, including a possible appeal.
After the shooting was investigated and reviewed, in fall 2016, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office determined that the alleged police shooting had been justified and that criminal charges against the involved police officer were not warranted.
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