FL S0004

Directs the Lee County Sheriff's Office to pay $626,769.93 to Patricia Ermini, representing the excess judgment of $550,000 plus $76,769.93 in interest and court costs beyond the $200,000 statutory cap already paid under section 768.28, Florida Statutes

On March 23, 2012, three LCSO deputies entered 71-year-old Ermini's dark, unlocked home for a well-being check requested by her daughter; within 2 minutes of entry, Deputy Robert Hamer fired seven AR-15 rounds through a closed bedroom door, striking Ermini multiple times

Ermini suffered a shattered femur, a partially destroyed upper right arm, a graze wound to her head, and a wood splinter lodged in her eye, requiring multiple surgeries, approximately 30 days of hospitalization, and resulting in permanent pain, limited mobility, and posttraumatic stress disorder

A federal jury in January 2018 awarded $1 million in damages, reduced to $750,000 after apportioning 75% fault to LCSO; the judgment was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and Deputies Lisenbee and Hamer were terminated shortly after the incident

Attorney fees related to the claim are capped at 25% of the total amount awarded under the act, and the combined statutory payment and this appropriation constitute the sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the incident