Settlement For City Police Trainee Accidentally Shot During Exercise

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It was a terrible accident -- a police trainee shot in the face by an officer during a training exercise more than three years ago. The city approves a financial settlement, but not everyone is happy about it.

Rick Ritter breaks down the settlement and has more on what could be next.

The attorney for Raymond Gray says the $200,000 offer is arrogant. He says Gray's medical bills are more than triple that, and it sends a bad message to officers on the streets.

Disgusted and beside himself, attorney A. Dwight Petit reacts to the $200,000 settlement proposal from Baltimore City after his client, Raymond Gray, was accidentally shot during a training exercise.

"The city is in their normal manner -- being defiant and arrogant," said Petit.

On February 12, 2013, Sky Eye Chopper 13 captures the tense moments after Gray was shot in the head while training with Baltimore City police.

Prosecutors say William Scott Kern pulled the trigger, mistaking his service weapon for his training weapon, and shot Gray through a window when he exposed his head.

"The facts of this case are just horrible," Petit said.

Kern was later criminally charged, convicted and sent to jail.

Years later, Gray is still healing, and may never fully recover.

"Will never be able to live a normal life," Petit said.

The $200,000 is the most the city says it can offer, and continuing with a trial would be a waste of time.

"To go forward with a trial when the city is prepared to pay $200,000, which is the most that the plaintiff can recover," a city official said.

But Petit says the city has waived that cap before, and this case should be no different.

Since Petit is denying the proposed settlement, a pretrial hearing is scheduled in federal district court on April 13. The actual trial is scheduled for late April.

Gray's attorney says due to his client's medical bills, the claim he's looking for is somewhere around $10 million.