TAMPA, Fla — A newly-released invoice reveals the amount of the settlement the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reached with the family of a 15-year-old who was hit and killed by a speeding deputy in a patrol car.
A November 2021 invoice, obtained Tuesday by 10 Tampa Bay, shows the sheriff's office paid $200,000 into a trust account representing the Estate of Josiah Pinner.
Pinner's death in January 2019 led to protests that included chants of "Justice for Josiah." There were tributes and a candlelight vigil.
His death happened while the sheriff's office was conducting an unrelated mobile surveillance operation. Investigators say Deputy Philip Montesi was driving quickly on North Florida Avenue, trying to regroup with the rest of the surveillance team, when he hit Pinner after sunset on the dimly-lit street.
Pinner had been walking a bicycle across the street, outside the crosswalk, authorities said. Montesi reportedly changed lanes to avoid him, but it was already too late. Pinner died at the scene.
An internal investigation found Montesi violated standard operating procedure by speeding while not being involved in an emergency response. He received a five-day suspension without pay and was ordered to attend an advanced driving course.
After the crash, State Attorney Andrew Warren described Pinner's death as a "terrible tragedy." But he found "insufficient evidence" to pursue a homicide charge against Montesi.
"Although the evidence establishes that Deputy Montesi was driving above the speed limit at the time of the accident, Florida law holds that speed alone is insufficient to establish vehicular homicide," Warren wrote in a letter to Sheriff Chad Chronister.
Because Deputy Montesi was on duty at the time of the crash, he could not be sued as an individual. So, the Pinner family sued the sheriff's office for negligence.
In March 2022, family attorney Edward Reyes confirmed the settlement had been previously reached, explaining that loved ones opted to strike a deal in the civil case in order to end the litigation process. Last week, Reyes told 10 Tampa Bay the resolution meant an end to the court proceedings that have been difficult for Pinner's loved ones.
Reporter Liz Crawford's 2019 report can be viewed below.
