A $2.6 million settlement was recently approved by Tallahassee city commissioners following the wrongful death suit filed by a young woman's parents. The woman was a police informant who was fatally shot during a drug sting in 2008. Following her death, the 23-year-old woman's parents sued, citing police negligence.

The young woman had agreed to act as a police informant after she was caught with illegal drugs. As an informant, she was to go and purchase drugs and a gun in a drug sting. According to police records, she was sent alone with $13,000 in marked bills to purchase the drugs. During the drug deal, the police lost track of where she was and failed to maintain contact with her. The man who was selling to her fatally shot the victim five times. He then stole her vehicle, the marked money and a credit card.

She was found dead approximately 50 miles away. Two men are serving life sentences for the female victim's murder. It is speculated that she would still be alive had she received the proper police protection.

The amount of this settlement is unusually high, which required a number of approval steps. Even though governments cannot typically be sued, Florida does allow victims to receive up to $200,000. Any amount above that, as in this case, requires a claims bill to pass. Once the claims bill is passed by Florida Legislature, which is statistically known to take years, the rest will be paid.

The settlement cannot undo the tragic events that occurred. However, by holding the responsible parties accountable for the wrongful death, it may prevent another family from having to go through the same trauma.

Source: The Miami Herald, "City settles informant death suit for $2.6 million," James L Rosica, Jan. 6, 2012