The family of a teenage boy killed in 2017 by a Michigan state trooper after he was shot with a Taser while riding an all-terrain vehicle reached a $12 million settlement.
Damon Grimes’ mother and two sisters will receive $7.8 million, according to court documents in their wrongful death lawsuit against the Michigan State Police. The family’s lawyers will receive about $4 million.
Grimes, 15, died in August 2017 after trooper Mark Bessner fired his Taser at the teenager from the front seat of a patrol car while he and his partner chased the boy. Grimes was riding an ATV at the time and crashed after he was shot with the stun gun.
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Bessner, who had a history of misconduct allegations involving his Taser use, quit the Michigan State Police department following the teen’s death and was charged with involuntary manslaughter. He was found guilty in April, sentenced to five to 15 years a month later and ordered to pay restitution to the Grimes family.
Prosecutor Matthew Penney told jurors at the trial that Bessner knew that using his Taser was “going to cause some serious harm to Damon Grimes.”
The Michigan State Police condemned Bessner’s conduct and said they believe the charges were appropriate.
In a statement Monday, the department called Grimes’ death a tragedy and said it could have been avoided “if not for the criminal and unforgivable actions” of Bessner.
“The Michigan State Police extends its continued condolences to the Grimes’ family, friends and supporters,” the statement read. “The MSP recognizes that while this monetary settlement does not change how this has affected the Grimes family, it may help to begin to bring some closure.”
During his trial, Bessner said he deployed his Taser because he believed Grimes had a gun. The teenager did not have a weapon on him, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Two months before Grimes was killed, Bessner was cleared of misconduct for firing his Taser at a handcuffed suspect who fled during a traffic stop, the Associated Press reported. He was also accused of misconduct and agreed to a brief suspension for using his Taser on a handcuffed man in 2014.
