Board approves $500K for minor in BPD settlement

Baltimore City's financial board approved a settlement Wednesday to award $500,000 to a minor who had to have surgery after a city police officer shocked him with a stun gun outside a school in 2018. Sean Lewis, who was a teenager at the time, was trying to pick up his younger brother from school. Deputy City Solicitor Stephen Salsbury told members of the Baltimore City Board of Estimates that the school has a policy of only allowing parents to pick up students. So, when Lewis banged on the school door, the school went into lockdown and called police. Salsbury said Officer Christopher Florio repeatedly told Lewis to step back from the school doors, but Lewis would not. Salsbury said Lewis was arrested and detained at BPD headquarters but did not serve any time in connection with the 2018 incident. He said Florio has since retired from the BPD for medical reasons.