The family of Korryn Gaines, a 23-year old mother of two who was shot to death by Baltimore County police on Aug. 1, 2016, was awarded more than $37 million in damages Feb. 16 in a wrongful death lawsuit against the county.
The family of Korryn Gaines, seen here with her son Kodi, was awarded more than $37 million in damages in a wrongful death lawsuit against Baltimore County. (AFRO File Photo)
A jury of six women, four White and two Black, deliberated for less than three hours after hearing evidence and testimony over the course of three weeks. They found Gaines and her five-year old son Kodi had their civil rights violated under state and federal law because the first shot fired by law enforcement was “unreasonable.”
The jury awarded more than $32 million in damages to Kodi, and $4.5 million to his sister, Karsyn. Gaines’ mother and father were awarded $307,000 and $300,000 respectively; the Gaines’ estate was awarded another $300,000. There were no punitive damages awarded.
Mike Field, an attorney for Baltimore County said the county, “is reviewing all of its options, including an appeal.”
In a social media post, the family’s lead attorney, J. Wyndal Gordon, described the actions of Baltimore County Police Officer Royce Ruby, who gunned down Gaines and shot her son as he tried to run away.
“Gaines was shot in the back by Officer Royce Ruby, as he aimed at an area through the wall where he believed the back of her head would be—from behind a brick wall in an adjacent apartment. Gaines was in the kitchen fixing her son a peanut and butter and jelly sandwich at the time Ruby fired his first shot,” Gordon wrote on Facebook.
“Gaines’ son was shot in the face by the same bullet that entered Gaines’ back, pierced her lungs bilaterally, traveled through her spine, then exited her body, ricocheting off the refrigerator, and ultimately striking and embedding in her son’s face,” Gordon continued. “Gaines’ son was shot not just once but twice by Officer Ruby. Ruby finished Gaines with three more shots, striking her center-mass, and her son in the upper arm as he was running away—killing Gaines and literally blowing off her son’s right elbow.”
Prior to the shooting, Gaines was live-streaming her five-hour standoff with police via Facebook and Instagram. County police eventually asked Facebook (which owns Instagram) to deactivate both of her accounts. Moments later, Gaines was dead after Ruby stormed the apartment.
Baltimore attorney Kenneth Ravenell, who represented Kodi and his father, Corey Cunningham, told The New York Times that the verdict was a “huge win” for his clients.
“We are moved by the jury’s swift verdict in this case,” said Ravenell. “We believe it sends a message not only to the police officer who shot my client and killed his mother in front of him, we hope it sends a message to police officers around the country that the citizens here, and the citizens around the country, are tired of police abuses.”
