Monahan Law Blog

State of Pennsylvania agrees to settle for $12.5 million with the father of a 12 year old boy who was fatally shot when he hopped out of a stolen vehicle

The State of Pennsylvania has agreed to settle with the father of a 12 year old boy who was shot by state troopers after he hopped out of a stolen car.  Previously, a federal jury had awarded the boy's father more than $28 million including $24 million in punitive damages.  The police had appealed arguing that the punitive damages were excessive.  The case settled before a decision was made on appeal.

The boy was unarmed when he was shot during a chase on Christmas Eve 2002 south of Pittsburgh.  The troopers, who were not believed, claimed that only one of them shot the boy and only because one believed that the boy had already shot the partner.