Baltimore County Nears Settlement With Family Of Korryn Gaines
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- Five years to the day from Korryn Gaines' death, the Randallstown woman shot and killed in 2016 during an hours-long standoff with police, Baltimore County has reached a settlement with her family.
Sean Naron, a spokesman for County Executive Johnny Olszewski, confirmed that "an agreement has been reached in principle."
He said he could not provide any further information since the written agreement is being finalized. It is not yet clear how much the family would receive.
Gaines, armed with a shotgun, reportedly barricaded herself in her apartment with her son, Kodi. She live-streamed some of the seven-hour standoff on Instagram Live and Facebook before police asked the platforms to shut the streams down.
The faceoff ended when an officer fired at Gaines, striking her. She fired her shotgun and the officers fired three more times, striking her and her son.
Prosecutors declined to press charges against Officer Royce Ruby, who fired the first shot. At trial, Ruby claimed Gaines gave him no choice.
A jury initially awarded Gaines' family $38 million, a figure that included money for Kodi Gaines. The jury found that the first shot was not a reasonable use of force. That payout was later thrown out by a Baltimore County judge. However, in July, an appellate court found that the Baltimore County court abused its discretion in overturning the jury verdict, potentially opening the door for a new civil trial.
