Family of Airman Killed by Deputy Hires Prominent Civil Rights Lawyer

NEW YORK (AP) — The family of a Black U.S. Air Force airman, who was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy in Florida, has enlisted the services of Benjamin Crump, a renowned civil rights attorney known for his advocacy in high-profile police brutality cases. Crump, often referred to as “Black America’s attorney general,” has represented families of victims such as Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, whose deaths ignited the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted nationwide calls for racial justice. Crump gained national attention following the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old unarmed teenager, by a neighborhood watch member in Sanford, Florida. His legal efforts contributed to a wrongful-death settlement for Martin’s family. Similarly, Crump represented the family of Michael Brown, leading to a $1.5 million settlement with the city after Brown's death in 2014 sparked significant protests and activism. In the wake of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, Crump played a pivotal role in securing a historic $27 million settlement for Floyd’s family, marking one of the largest pretrial civil rights settlements in U.S. history. He also represented the family of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a police raid, resulting in a $12 million settlement and commitments to police reform. As Crump continues to advocate for victims of police violence, he has recently filed a $550 million lawsuit on behalf of the family of Tyre Nichols, further underscoring his commitment to seeking justice for those affected by systemic racism and police brutality.