Sheriff apologizes to Strickland family; county to pay $2.45 million

More than a year after a law enforcement officer’s mistake left a teen dead and a family in grief, Peyton Strickland’s parents finally have found closure.

That closure came on Tuesday evening with a settlement of $2.45 million and a public apology from New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey. Additionally, Causey agreed to an independent review of the heavily armed team responsible for Strickland’s death.

The settlement will go toward a charitable foundation to provide need-based scholarships and fund other causes, said Strickland family spokeswoman Joyce Fitzpatrick.

“The Stricklands were not interested in money,” she said. “That cannot bring their son back.”

A settlement reached in Durham between both parties avoids a lawsuit, Fitzpatrick said.

Strickland’s parents, Durham lawyer Don Strickland and his wife, Kathy, had two years from the time of their son’s death on Dec. 1, 2006, to file suit. Former New Hanover County Sheriff’s Cpl. Christopher M. Long was not charged with a crime, leaving Strickland’s family without closure.

On Wednesday, Causey released a taped statement recapping the settlement agreement.

“I am profoundly sorry,” Causey said against a backdrop of the United States and North Carolina flags. “I cannot begin to imagine the immense sorrow the Strickland family must continue to feel, but they will forever be in my thoughts and prayers. It is my hope that the Strickland family will accept this apology and know that it is offered with compassion and sincerity.”

Long shot Strickland to death in the process of a raid. The sheriff’s Emergency Response Team was in the process of arresting Strickland for armed robbery. Long mistook the sound of a battering ram for gunshots.

His gear included a hood, earpiece and helmet that he said muffled his hearing. Strickland and two of his friends had been wanted for a November robbery of two Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles.

A physical copy of the settlement agreement was not made public on Wednesday. County spokesman Mark Boyer said it was handwritten on notebook paper and he didn’t have a copy. The settlement will be available at the county commissioner’s meeting on March 10.

Long’s attorney, J. Michael McGuinness, responded in an e-mail statement that his client was not in a position to make a statement on Wednesday because a copy of the settlement is not public yet.

Meanwhile, the sheriff accepted responsibility for his former employee.

“I acknowledge one of my officers made a mistake as to the existence of a deadly threat,” Causey said. “Cpl. Long fired his weapon because he perceived a threat. In hindsight, we know that was a mistaken belief on Cpl. Long’s part. Peyton Strickland was not armed.”

The county’s insurance will pay for the settlement, but taxpayers will foot the bill for a $25,000 deductible, Boyer said.

The county’s law enforcement liability insurance covers up to $2 million per incident, Boyer said, and an additional excess liability insurance policy caps at $3 million.

That means settlement money will come from the two policies, Boyer said.

The law enforcement liability insurance costs the county $246,902 a year, while the excess liability policy costs $108,265, Boyer said.

None of that was important to Strickland’s parents, whose primary goal was independent oversight of the sheriff’s office Emergency Response Team.

“We believe Peyton’s death would have been prevented if the Sheriff’s department had better Emergency Response Team policies and procedures,” the family said in a statement. “We are therefore gratified that Sheriff Causey has agreed to have his department’s ERT policies and procedures evaluated and that he is committed to identifying and implementing changes that may help save lives.”

Veronica Gonzalez: 343-2008

veronica.gonzalez@starnewsonline.com