DeSantis backs $6M settlement to man shot, paralyzed by deputy

Governor signs bill, drawing close to seven-year battle

A 27-year-old man shot and paralyzed by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy will receive a $6 million settlement as a result of a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday.

The governor’s action draws to a close Dontrell Stephens’ seven-year battle to collect compensation from a 2013 police shooting that left him facing a lifetime of medical bills.

Stephens won a $22.4 million judgment from a federal jury in 2016, but he needed the Legislature’s approval to collect damages over $200,000. DeSantis also signed a bill Tuesday awarding about $2 million to Clifford Williams, who spent 43 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. DeSantis signed the bills as protesters have taken to the streets to call attention to police brutality and racism.

“The relief bills for Dontrell Stephens and Clifford Williams had bipartisan support and were signed by Governor DeSantis

because it was the right thing to do,” Helen Ferre, a DeSantis spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Stephens had to navigate Tallahassee politics to collect money through a process known as a claim bill. People harmed by government wrongdoing or negligence can wait years for the Florida Legislature to approve their claim bill. Stephens’ attorney Jack Scarola said the Legislature approved far less than what the jury thought was just.

“However, the bill will at least enable Dontrell to avoid having to worry about where his next meal will come from, and he will finally be able to access medical care necessary to his survival,” Scarola said in a statement.

Deputy Adams Lin shot Stephens four times while stopping him for a bicycle infraction about seven years ago in West Palm Beach. Dashcam footage showed Lin opening fire four seconds after Stephens got off his bike. The jury deemed it to be excessive force. As part of the settlement, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw agreed to pay $4.5 million to Stephens’ guardian and lawyers, along with up to an additional $1.5 million to satisfy outstanding medical debts. Attorney fees were capped at 25%.

Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the sheriff, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday night.