TOWSON, Md. — Marching under a blazing sun Thursday morning and holding signs skyward, protesters in Towson loudly showed their support for young Kodi Gaines, who was struck by a ricocheting bullet when Baltimore County police shot his mother to death five years ago.
Kodi, now 10, suffered severe injuries but survived. A jury in 2018 awarded a total of $38 million after a civil trial — with the bulk going to Kodi, the rest to his mother’s estate.
But Baltimore County has fiercely fought to overturn the award ever since, without success. Earlier this month the county settled with Korryn Gaines' estate, her mother and sister for $3 million, about half of what a jury had awarded.
But there was no settlement with Kodi, who was awarded about $32 million. Attorney Kenneth Ravenell, representing the child, has pushed hard to keep the case in the public’s eye and has been successful against attempts to have the jury’s award overturned.
He has organized similar protests before, including a civil rights rally last month headlined by the Rev. Al Sharpton and attended by about 200 supporters, also outside the courthouse in Towson.
“We have gathered here for the third time to try to bring attention and focus to what has happened Korryn Gaines and now Kodi Gaines,” Ravenell said during an interview.
“What happened on Aug. 1 of 2016 was a tragedy and it was caused by a Baltimore County police officer shooting and killing Korryn and then also shooting Kodi,” Ravenell said. “The big step is this, settling Kodi’s case and we are not going to stop.”
The crowd of nearly 50 people marched loudly, shouting “Justice for Kodi Gaines” and chanting “Say his name” as people inside of the Towson Circuit Courthouse stepped outside to watch.
Kodi, then 5, was injured when Baltimore County police fired through a wall at Korryn Gaines, saying she pointed a shotgun at an officer. Kodi was struck and left with an elbow injury and bullet fragments on his face.
Officers arrived to the home attempting to execute a warrant for a previous traffic violation by Gaines, 23.
The case sparked national attention as Gaines had been recording the incident on Facebook live. Ravenell says he refuses to let the county get off “cheap” in resolving Kodi’s case.
“Talk is cheap you know. Three weeks have gone by since we presented the demand to you and we have heard nothing,” Ravenell said.
After a 2018 civil trial, a jury awarded about $5.4 million to the family members who have now settled with the county.
A legal struggle ensued after a county judge, Mickey J. Norman, overturned the jury’s decision and said the officer who fired the shots did nothing wrong.
The judge wrote that physical evidence showed that Gaines, who was armed with a shot gun, raised her weapon and turned toward the officer, Cpl. Royce Ruby, who had said he thought she was going to fire.
The case had dragged on as a Maryland Appeals Court ruled in 2020 that Norman erred in wiping out the jury award, and Ravenell said it’s time to get things settled.
Kodi’s father also attended Thursday’s rally.
“It should have never happened, my son should have never lost his mother, he never should have been shot twice,” Corey Cunnigham said. “The county was so worried about ricochets, but the only ricochet that occurred that day was the bullet that went through a wall, went through Korryn, bounced off a fridge and landed on my son’s face.”
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