FL H6515

Appropriates $296,400 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to compensate Michael Barnett, individually and as natural parent and legal guardian of R.B., for injuries and damages sustained in a September 2010 shooting in Riviera Beach

In September 2010, Patrick Dell fatally shot his estranged wife Natasha Whyte-Dell and four of her children and severely wounded a fifth child (R.B.) by shooting him in the neck, after which Dell committed suicide

DCF received an abuse hotline report in January 2010 regarding a December 2009 incident where Dell threatened Whyte-Dell with a knife and threatened to kill her, but the department closed the case on February 25, 2010, concluding the children were not at significant risk of harm, despite police responding to the home 34 times in 4 years, including 11 domestic violence calls

The settlement agreement provides a total of $160,000 (including attorney fees and costs) under the sovereign immunity statutory cap, with the $296,400 appropriation representing the consent final judgment amount above that cap

Attorney fees are capped at 25% of the total amount awarded, and the combined payments constitute sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the incident