$5M settlement OK'd in boy's boot camp death
A $5 million settlement for the family of a teenager who died after being roughed up by guards at a state-supervised boot camp won lawmaker approval Wednesday and was sent to the governor, who is expected to sign it.
Gov. Charlie Crist and black legislators had led the effort to compensate the family of Martin Lee Anderson, who died in January 2006 shortly after being kneed, struck and having ammonia tablets held to his nose at the military-style facility run by the Bay County Sheriff's Office in Panama City.
The state has already paid Anderson's parents $200,000, the most allowed by law without legislative approval. The bill would pay the remaining $4.8 million of the proposed settlement.
"While no dollar amount will return their son to his family, compensating them for this tragedy is the right thing to do," Crist said.
A message left for Benjamin Crump, the attorney representing Anderson's parents, was not immediately returned.
Although run by the sheriff's department, the camp was part of a state program under the Department of Juvenile Justice, which did not contest the settlement. The Legislature dismantled the military-style youth boot camps last year after Anderson's death.
The sheriff's office has separately settled with the Anderson family for $2.4 million. Seven guards and a nurse employed at the camp face manslaughter charges.
An initial autopsy report blamed the 14-year-old's death on complications from sickle cell trait. A second autopsy, though, found Anderson died from suffocation due to being forced to inhale the ammonia.
Anderson entered the camp for a probation violation for trespassing at a school after he and his cousins were charged with stealing their grandmother's car.
Gov. Charlie Crist and black legislators had led the effort to compensate the family of Martin Lee Anderson, who died in January 2006 shortly after being kneed, struck and having ammonia tablets held to his nose at the military-style facility run by the Bay County Sheriff's Office in Panama City.
The state has already paid Anderson's parents $200,000, the most allowed by law without legislative approval. The bill would pay the remaining $4.8 million of the proposed settlement.
"While no dollar amount will return their son to his family, compensating them for this tragedy is the right thing to do," Crist said.
A message left for Benjamin Crump, the attorney representing Anderson's parents, was not immediately returned.
Although run by the sheriff's department, the camp was part of a state program under the Department of Juvenile Justice, which did not contest the settlement. The Legislature dismantled the military-style youth boot camps last year after Anderson's death.
The sheriff's office has separately settled with the Anderson family for $2.4 million. Seven guards and a nurse employed at the camp face manslaughter charges.
An initial autopsy report blamed the 14-year-old's death on complications from sickle cell trait. A second autopsy, though, found Anderson died from suffocation due to being forced to inhale the ammonia.
Anderson entered the camp for a probation violation for trespassing at a school after he and his cousins were charged with stealing their grandmother's car.
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This is rediculous. This kid was only 14 years old. He had a life to live, and different people to meet. Yea maybe he was a bad kid, maybe he wasn't, but that didn't give the guards the right to do what they did to him. These are the kinds of things that triggers my anger against the world. I'm glad his parents are getting money for it, but that's not going to buy your child back. A child is a part of you that you never want to let go. This really upsets me. 14 years old. Jeesh. Well comment this and tell me what you think about this.
2 comments:
Jamie,
I agree with you 100%. I mean, why would anyone want to do this to a boy. Just because they are in boot camp doesn't mean you can treat them to where they are going to die from it. Now the guards who did this are going to blame it on the boy. NO! They knew what they were doing and they did it anyways knowing it was wrong and could harm the boy. I bet they weren't thinking when they were killing the child!!!!!
That is horrible. THere is no such thing as a bad person, just bad decisions.
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