WILMINGTON — Two men who were shot by law enforcement agents in 2013 were awarded more than $150,000 after a lawsuit against the Brunswick County Sheriff, New Hanover County Sheriff, and Leland Police Department settled.
In 2013, Antoine Levar Graham and Jerry Onasis Melvin were shot during a DWI checkpoint in Brunswick County. New Hanover County Sheriff’s deputies as well as Town of Leland Police department were working in partnership with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office conducting the checkpoint.
Graham and Melvin fled from the DWI checkpoint and nearly hit police with a vehicle; according to Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram, after realizing their lives were in danger from being run over, officers and deputies opened fire on the vehicle.
In 2014, Graham was indicted by a grand jury with and, “charged with 10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, 10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a government official, felony flee to elude arrest with a motor vehicle and felony conspiracy.”
Graham and Melvin later filed a civil suit, naming Sheriff Ingram and numerous law enforcement officers. While several New Hanover County Sheriff’s deputies were named in the suit, New Hanover County was not involved in the settlement payout.
Captain Mose L. Highsmith of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office issued a brief statement on the settlement:
“Both Antoine Graham and Jerry Melvin did file lawsuits as a result of the 2014 incident at the checkpoint in Leland. Sheriff Ingram’s position in this case is that a summary judgment in favor of the deputies and officers of the assisting agencies was extremely probable.
“However, as in many civil claims for damages, the decision to settle or proceed to trial in this case was guided primarily by the insurance carrier and their attorneys.
The bottom line is that the cost for the insurance company to settle was less than the projected cost to take this case to trial,” Highsmith said.
According to Communication Coordinator Jessica Loeper, “According to the county’s Legal Department, the plaintiffs were shot by officers conducting a license checkpoint in Brunswick County when the plaintiff’s attempted to strike officers with a car in an attempt to evade the checkpoint. Officers from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, and Leland Police Department were involved. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Deputies were participating at the request of the Brunswick Sheriff, as part of a mutual aid agreement.”
This agreement held Brunswick County responsible for possible expenses such as the settlement, Loeper said.
“Brunswick County was responsible for the insurance coverage and all expenses. New Hanover County will not be paying anything toward this settlement,” Loeper said.
Graham was also the subject of an arrest warrant at the beginning of November when Brunswick County conducted a drug-roundup, Graham was not home during the roundup.
Michael Praats can be reached at Michael.p@localvoicemedia.com
