A lawsuit claims a Detroit police officer negligently shot and killed a 7-year-old girl, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, in 2010. The officer, Joseph Weekley, was part of a team that had arrived at Aiyana’s home looking for a suspect in a recent murder. The lawsuit alleged gross negligence, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The officers had thrown a stun grenade into the window of Aiyana’s home before Weekley entered with a ballistic shield and sub-machine gun. The gun fired a shot that struck Aiyana in the head, killing her. Weekley was later charged and tried twice, but both trials ended with hung juries.
Case Details
Aiyana’s parents, Charles Jones and Dominika Stanley, sued Weekley on behalf of their daughter’s estate. The lawsuit claimed that Weekley’s actions were negligent and led to Aiyana’s death. The estate’s counsel argued that the stun grenade prevented anyone inside from moving, and there was no reason for Weekley to fire a shot.
The counsel also alleged that Weekley’s gun went off just seconds after the stun grenade, and that the grenade contributed to Weekley’s inability to properly maintain his weapon. Additionally, the counsel claimed that Weekley should not have carried his gun and shield at the same time, as the shield blocked his view of what was inside the home.
Settlement
The parties negotiated a pretrial settlement, with the defense agreeing to pay the estate $8.25 million. The officer was insured through the city of Detroit. The estate had sought recovery of Aiyana’s loss of services and earning capacity, as well as her family’s loss of society and companionship.
The estate also sought damages for Aiyana’s conscious pain and suffering between the time she was shot and the time she died. However, the defense had retained a pathology expert who would have disputed this claim.
Aiyana was shot once in the head and was taken to Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit, where she died within an hour. She left behind her parents, grandmother, and seven siblings.
The death of a child is a devastating event for any family. In this case, the family’s grief was likely compounded by the fact that the death was caused by a police officer. The settlement provides some measure of closure, but it is unlikely to fully address the emotional toll of the event.
The case highlights the importance of proper police procedures and training to prevent such tragedies from occurring. They must be trained to use tools like stun grenades and sub-machine guns with caution in residential areas.
Charles Jones and Dominika Stanley can find more information on hospital negligence online.
