PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (October 19, 2016) The largest wrongful death settlement in the history of the Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office (PBSO) has been reached with the family of Michael Camberdella, an unarmed mentally ill 18-year-old, who was shot and killed by a PBSO Deputy on October 4, 2012. The $1.7M settlement brings closure to civil lawsuit filed by the Camberdella family after their son was tragically gunned down in front of their home by Deputy William Goldstein.
“This historic settlement confirms our claims that Michael Camberdella was wrongfully shot and killed by Deputy Goldstein,” said Camberdella’s attorney Sean C. Domnick of Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa. PBSO has been accused of a pattern of disturbing’ practices in police-involved shootings. An investigative report revealed that since 2000, PBSO has a nearly a 100% clearance rate of deputy-involved shootings. “After years of litigation, we are proud to obtain justice for the Camberdella family,” added Domnick.
The lawsuit was filed after Linda Camberdella called 911 requesting aid for her son who was diagnosed with autism and suffered from a series of mental health issues. She advised the operator that her son required professional help to ensure he did not pose a threat to himself or others. Deputy Goldstein arrived on the scene, and despite warnings that Michael was mentally disabled, failed to defuse the situation by following proper police techniques, ordering backup or requesting professional assistance from a Crisis Intervention Team (C.I.T). Instead, Deputy Goldstein applied excessive deadly force, spraying the neighborhood with 11 bullets and killing Camberdella, who, according to witness accounts, was unarmed and posed no threat to the officer or the public.
“For four long years we fought for justice for our son Michael. Our family will forever be haunted by this tragedy and no amount of money can ever bring him back. But we can finally let his memory rest in peace, knowing that we never gave up until justice was served,” said Linda Camberdella.
In addition to Domnick, the Plaintiffs in this wrongful death action were represented by Jennifer M. Lipinski of Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa, The Law Offices of Elkins & Freedman and Kaplan Sconzo & Parker, P.A.
Related Media
- Sheriff’s Office settles for $1.7 million with family of teen killed by deputy – Sun Sentinel
- Family of Fatally Shot Teen to Receive 1.7M from PBSO – Daily Business Review
- Settlement reached in PBSO shooting death of unarmed autistic teen – CBS 12
- PBSO, Boynton family settle over teen’s death for $1.7 million – Palm Beach Post
- Family reaches large settlement with PBSO – WPTV Ch 5
- Family of teen shot by deputy reacts to $1.7 million settlement – WPBF Ch 25
Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa is a national civil litigation firm based in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The firm specializes in complex litigation including catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, trucking, and bad faith litigation. For more information, visit www.dcwlaw.com or call 561-462-5348.