By: Erica M. Ponder
RANDALLSTOWN, Md. — Justice is finally being served after a jury came back with a verdict in less than three hours against Baltimore County police, awarding $37 million to the family of Korryn Gaines, a 23-year-old woman killed in a police standoff in 2016.
In August 2016, Gaines was shot and killed by Baltimore County police after live streaming the encounter with police, which lasted for hours. During the incident, her then 5-year-old son Kodi was shot twice.
Kodi was awarded $32 million in damages, and $4.5 million was awarded to his sister, Karsyn. In addition, Gaines’ mother and father were awarded $307,000 and $300,000, according to the Baltimore Sun.
According to CNN, Attorney Kenneth Ravenell said the verdict is a “blessing from God.”
Although nothing can bring this young mother back, Ravenell is hoping the verdict changes future outcomes for police brutality. “We hope this sends a message to all police officers across the country that the citizens are tired of the police abusing their rights and abusing the citizenry,” he said.
“This win is for all of my sisters in the movement who have lost their children to police violence,” Gaines’ mother, Rhanda Dormeus, said outside of the courthouse. “Some of them have never received justice, either criminally or civil. I just want to tell them that this win is for them.”
Our continued prayers are with the family as they continue to recover from this unfortunate tragedy.