Family donating settlement in shooting

SANDUSKY, Mich. (AP) -- Money from a $2.2 million court settlement over the death of a 29-year-old man who was fatally shot by a Michigan police officer in 2010 will go to charities and police departments, including the one that employed the officer who killed him, the man's father said. Kent Kramer was shot to death Feb. 27, 2010 by Sandusky Officer Scott Mintz during an attempted arrest. The Times Herald of Port Huron reports that the list of those getting money includes the Sandusky Police Department. Kent's father, Doug Kramer, said he hopes money will be used for training. "Money isn't going to bring him back, but hopefully we can use the money in his name to do some good and to avoid having something like this happen again," he said. A federal civil lawsuit against the city of Sandusky and Mintz was settled out of court this week. Lawyer Hugh Davis, who represented the Kramer family, said Mintz was named in the lawsuit and the city was also named for its failure to train and supervise him. Kent Kramer was shot five times in Sandusky, 75 miles north of Detroit. Police said Mintz was attempting to arrest Kramer for drunken driving when he became belligerent. Following an investigation, a prosecutor cleared Mintz in the shooting. He's a part-time officer working on an as-needed basis, but hasn't been called back to work in Sandusky since the shooting, said Sandusky City Manager Dave Faber. The settlement is covered by the city's insurance, Faber said. Doug Kramer said his family is still healing after the shooting, and that he's "thankful we had 29 years" with his son. "We have a good happy life, and he should be sharing in it," he said. "Whenever you have a good time, you walk away sad because you think he should have been there." Published: Thu, Aug 23, 2012