Sheriff agrees to $25M settlement for man shot by deputy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Florida sheriff has agreed to pay about $25 million to a black man who became a quadriplegic after a deputy shot him, but the payment can only be made with the approval of state lawmakers.

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 the $22.4 million 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. Lin is Asian-American.

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Information from: The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, http://www.pbpost.com