MONROE, N.C. — A federal judge approved a $2.5 million wrongful death settlement for the family of Malcom Staton, who was killed by Union County deputies in 2022.
The settlement was approved on Monday.
Deputies shot Staton in the head while his two children were in the backseat of his car at the Sunny Food Mart in Monroe.
Surveillance video from the scene shows deputies approaching Staton’s vehicle in March 2022. Staton is seen trying to drive away before deputies block him in. However, the video does not capture the shooting itself.
According to deputies at the time, Staton rammed into their vehicles before they opened fire.
Court documents also indicate that the deputies suspected Staton of possessing drugs, but the judge confirmed this was not true.
VIDEO: Community gathers in Monroe to protest deadly deputy-involved shooting at food mart
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