Updated with video; The Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit reached a settlement with the estate of Clayton Lewis who was killed in a shootout with ADDU in January 2009
Clayton Lewis, 39, was shot and killed during a shootout in January 2009 with an ADDU officer
ALBANY, GA -- The insurance carriers for law enforcement in Dougherty County agreed to a $40,000 insurance settlement with the Attorney representing the estate of Clayton Lewis, 39, who was killed during a shootout with an Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit officer in January 2009.
"I came on board after this so I'm glad it's behind us so we can concentrate on other activities and the officers can not have to worry or sit back and worry about what's going on," says Maj. Bill Berry with the ADDU.
Dougherty County Police Chief Don Cheek says the settlement does not acknowledge or imply any guilt or wrong-doing by ADDU officers in the incident.
On Jan. 20, 2009, ADDU stopped a car on the Liberty Expressway between North Slappey Boulevard and North Jefferson Street that officers had been on the lookout for. Investigators say as Lewis tried to drive off, he shot ADDU Officer Mark Farley in the upper left arm and Farley returned gunfire, shooting and killing Lewis.
The family of Lewis later sued the City for "wrongful death" and asked for medical and funeral expenses, saying Farley conducted an unlawful traffic stop.
Cheek says Columbia Casualty Company agreed upon the settlement, which is the minimum settlement covered by the policy.
The ADDU and its officers were cleared of any wrong-doing in an independent criminal investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and in a independent review by a special prosecutor’s office conducted at the request of Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards.
"Any officer involved in shooting unnecessarily is going to get the closest scrutiny from a criminal perspective and a civil perspective and that was done in this instance," says Edwards.
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