WEST SENECA, N.Y. -- West Seneca will pay a settlement of $4.6 million to the family of a man whom town police shot during a traffic stop in 2010.
Jeffrey Edwards was trying to surrender when a bullet struck him in the neck, leaving him paralyzed. He died four years later.
In the police dash cam video of an April 2010 traffic stop in West Seneca, Jerome Brylski jumps from the back seat of a car armed with a shotgun and opens fire at officers. The driver, Edwards, can be seen putting his hands out the driver's side window, trying to surrender. Seconds later, officers fire more than 60 rounds, striking both Brylski and Edwards.
"The police shot him first in the back and then in the neck and the bullet wound to the neck caused paralysis and ultimately his death," said Richard Weisbeck, attorney for Jeffrey Edwards' estate.
Edwards died of heart failure four years later. Last week, the Town of West Seneca and Edwards' estate settled a lawsuit for $4.6 million. The town's insurance company will pay the full amount. The money will not come from taxpayers.
Brylski has since been convicted of attempted murder of a police officer and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
"He had a history of being paranoid about the government, about police," Weisbeck said. "He thought the government was eavesdropping on him. That they were going to take his computer. And the West Seneca Police Dept. were well aware of his mental issues."
And so was Edwards, who was trying to help his friend that day. The four West Seneca police officers on the scene were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. No departmental or disciplinary action was brought against them.
Town Supervisor Sheila Meegan said in a statement, "This was a very unfortunate incident given the injury and death of Mr. Edwards. However, we were very, very blessed that none of our officers were shot when this incident occurred."
"The training of their individual officers and develop policies and procedures so that a situation like this doesn't develop," Weisbeck said.