SPARTA, Ga. — The tragic two-year legal battle over the death of Brianna Grier while in the custody of Hancock County Sheriff's Office could soon come to a close.
While there were no criminal prosecutions in Grier's death, the family could be getting a payout if a wrongful death settlement goes through, recently filed court documents show.
It all started when two deputies responded to Grier's family home on July 15, 2022.
In the middle of a mental health crisis, 28-year-old Grier died after Hancock County deputies failed to properly secure her inside a patrol cruiser during a July 15 arrest, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
Grier fell out of the patrol car, hit her head and would later die from her injuries at an Atlanta hospital six days later.
Grier suffered from schizophrenia and had long struggled with mental health issues. She was arrested for public drunkenness after her family called 911.
"If I had known it would turn out like this, God knows I wouldn't have called them to come get her," Mary Grier previously told 13WMAZ.
A federal lawsuit was filed by Grier's family against Hancock County Sheriff Tomlyn Primus and two deputies arguing the deputies were untrained, negligent and violated Grier's civil rights.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Marc Treadwell signed off on a settlement agreement reached between Grier's family and the law enforcement parties. If both sides manage to sort out the final details, the case will be settled for good.
They have 90 days to reopen the case should the settlement agreement not be finalized, but past that, the case will be dismissed and they would not be able to be refiled.
The settlement agreement comes after District Attorney Wright Barksdale declined to take the case to a grand jury back in November 2022, effectively stopping any criminal case against the deputies involved.
While Barkdsale found there was not enough evidence that the deputies committed any crimes, civil lawsuits have a different standard for accessing harm — also known as liability.
In a court filing, it was found that there was a "sufficient finding" of "harm" to justify a settlement.
If the deal goes through, we will never know how much money the Grier family will receive. The document filed with the court suggests that both parties agree to keep the settlement agreement confidential.
Because the settlement would benefit the estate of Grier — including minor children — the agreement says disclosing that information could put the child at risk of exploitation.