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McDole's family reflects on $1.5 million settlement deal

Megan Pauly
/
Delaware Public Media
Jeremy McDole's family leads a Black Lives Matter rally earlier this year.

Last Friday, the city of Wilmington reached a $1.5 million settlement with the family of Jeremy McDole, a wheelchair bound man shot and killed by Wilmington police officers in September 2015.

 

McDole’s family has mixed feelings about the case, but they're glad a settlement has been reached.  

 
McDole’s sister Keandra says the settlement has never been about money, but instead about seeking justice for her brother.

 

“This isn’t our occupation, this is our reality," McDole said. "This is something that we’re going to have to live with for the rest of our lives."

 

She says her family never sat down to consider an amount of money they’d like to receive to settle their lawsuit.

 

“If I could stand on the top of a building and throw this money off the top of the building – if it was in my name – that’s what I would do," McDole said. "Because it’s not going to do nothing for me, I look to it as blood money. My brother died because of this.”

 

The agreement also requires the Wilmington Police Department to meet with the family to discuss potential changes to its use of force policy and updates to de-escalation training.

 

“Because you’re going to listen," McDole said. "You say you’re here fighting for the people and you’re here in the community protecting and serving us? Then I’m going to make sure of that. That’s my plan and my goal.”

 

Retired federal judge Joseph Farnan will also be part of those conversations with McDole's family and the Wilmington Police Department.

 

"It's all for my brother. He motivated me to go to school for this," McDole said. "Because it has something to do with changing laws, it has something to do with changing policies, it has something to do with working in the community."

 

Delaware’s Attorney General did not file charges against the officers involved in McDole's shooting, but cited one for "extraordinarily poor police work"and was critical of Wilmington PD training.

McDole and other family members still claim that the gun found at Jeremy McDole’s side was planted, and say they’re waiting to hear back from the state's Attorney General about what they say is new evidence in his case they submitted three months ago.

The settlement is pending court approval January 10th.

 

Despite the settlement, Keandra McDole feels this is only the beginning of her family's fight. She says she remains committed to holding rallies to hold city officials accountable and prevent similar situations.

 

She’s even starting college at Wilmington University in January, where she plans to major in Government and Public Policy. She said an anonymous donor is paying for her full tuition to receive a bachelor’s and master’s degree.

 

 

 

 
 

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