A wrongful death lawsuit brought against the state by the mother of 17-year-old Agricola youth Shaquille Grant, who was shot and killed by police in 2012, has ended with the state agreeing to pay $28M.
Although the state has agreed to pay the monies, the court is yet to prepare a formal order. The lawsuit was being heard by Justice Gino Persaud at the High Court in Demerara.
The lawsuit was filed on December 18, 2014 by Shonnette Adams, the mother of Grant, through her attorney Nigel Hughes.
The mother had been suing the State for in excess of $300,000 over (a) the wrongful death of her son, (b) breach of his fundamental right under Article 138 of the Constitution of Guyana, not to be deprived of his life intentionally, and for (c) assault and battery.
For each of the above-mentioned claims, the mother was asking the court to award damages in excess of $100,000. She had also asked the court for (d) exemplary damages, (e) costs, (f) interest and (g) such further or other order as seem just by the court.
The Guyana Standard had previously reported that the mother was seeking a judgment in the sum of $10M, which would include exemplary damages which are requested and/or granted in a lawsuit when the defendant’s willful act was malicious, violent, oppressive, fraudulent, wanton, or grossly reckless.
Formerly of Caesar Street, Agricola, Grant was shot and killed after police ranks on mobile patrol swooped down in the community of September 11, 2012.
Police said that after receiving information that men in the community were planning a robbery, ranks were sent to the area where they came under heavy fire.
The ranks returned fire, fatally shooting Grant. According to information, the shooting ensued after a man called “Bollers” reportedly reached into his pocket for a cell phone.
After the killing, policemen Warren Blue, Jamal Lewis, and Terrance Wallace were charged for the murder of Grant. The now ex-policemen were listed jointly as defendants in the lawsuit filed by Adams.
On May 21, 2015, a 12-member mixed jury acquitted Wallace of the murder.
While it appears as though Lewis is still at large, Blue was shot dead on December 15, 2015 during a botched robbery on a supermarket at Montrose, East Coast Demerara.
