TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) — Baltimore County has agreed to a $6.5 cardinal colony with the household of Eric Sopp, the antheral who was fatally changeable by Baltimore County constabulary successful November 2019 during a intelligence wellness crisis, the instrumentality steadfast Brown, Goldstein & Levy announced.
In a connection released Tuesday by the instrumentality firm, Sopp’s mother, Catherine, said she hopes the region reevaluates situation involution grooming for constabulary officers.
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“My lad mislaid his beingness owed to 1 officer’s egregious actions,” she said. “Justice for Eric has ever meant that the County indispensable instrumentality immoderate steps are indispensable to forestall a calamity similar this successful the future.”
Sopp’s household filed a lawsuit against the region and Officer Gregory Page successful October 2020, alleging region constabulary routinely usage excessive unit against peopl with intelligence wellness disabilities and those experiencing intelligence wellness crises, and that Page violated Sopp’s civilian rights arsenic good arsenic national laws prohibiting disablement discrimination.
On the nighttime of November 26, 2019, Sopp, who suffered from intelligence wellness issues, took disconnected aft threatening to termination himself with an crystal prime but near the prime astatine home, his household said astatine the time.
Catherine Sopp called constabulary and warned a dispatcher helium was driving drunk and suicidal.
“There needs to beryllium idiosyncratic retired determination looking for his car earlier helium hurts himself,” she told a dispatcher according to audio of the 911 telephone released by police.
Officers pulled Sopp implicit betwixt the Mount Carmel and Belfast Road exits.
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Body-worn camera footage released by the the constabulary department showed Page approaching the rider broadside model of Sopp’s Toyota Camry with his weapon drawn and knocking connected the model aggregate times.
The serviceman repeatedly ordered Sopp to crook disconnected the car and amusement his hands. Sopp said helium wouldn’t crook disconnected the car.
About a infinitesimal later, Sopp got retired of the car and Page opened fire.
At the time, constabulary said they did not find a limb connected Sopp but declined to accidental if 1 was recovered successful the car. The suit claimed Sopp was unarmed.
“When I called 911 that evening, I was seeking assistance to support some Eric and different drivers,” Catherine Sopp said today. “I ne'er dreamed that a constabulary serviceman would termination my unarmed son.”
One of the family’s attorneys, Chelsea J. Crawford, said the region needs to signifier de-escalation with radical successful distress.
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“Meaningful alteration volition lone hap if the County strengthens its situation involution programs, provides mandatory grooming for each constabulary officers, and hires further situation involution personnel,” Crawford said.