Mother accepts city offer in son's death

By ERIC STIRGUS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 6, 2001

LARGO -- City leaders have offered to pay $85,000 to settle a lawsuit in which a mother says the Police Department caused the death of her son.

Cindy Valentine's lawsuit was scheduled to begin next week. But Wednesday, she agreed to a settlement with the city. Not for the money, she said, but because the city will erect a monument in Largo Central Park to honor her 18-month-old son, Shea Johnson. That was the turning point.

"Shea and I used to go there all the time," Valentine, 32, said. "That will give me somewhere to go to remember Shea."

Shea Johnson was killed on July 6, 1997, by his father, Jeffrey Johnson, who was despondent after an argument with Valentine.

Johnson had taken the boy to Vero Beach without his wife's permission a few days earlier. When Valentine discovered their location, she called the Largo police with the information. But police waited a day to check the tip.

When Vero Beach police were alerted, they spotted Johnson putting his son into his car. As officers chased him on Interstate 95, Johnson slammed the car into a bridge support at 95 mph. Police think Johnson, who also was killed, purposely crashed his car.

Had Largo notified Vero Beach earlier, Valentine says in her lawsuit, officers could have found her boy before the murder-suicide.

City commissioners discussed the case at a closed-door meeting Tuesday night. Attorneys for the city and Valentine reached an agreement Wednesday, but it must be approved by commissioners, which will likely happen this month.

"They empathize with her loss," said T.R. Unice Jr., an attorney representing the city. "It's sad." He declined to comment further.

City officials have previously denied wrongdoing, asserting in court documents that they followed proper procedure. A Largo police sergeant who handled the case said in a court deposition that Johnson's threats were limited to himself. Valentine's attorney, Tyrone Zdravko, disputed the city's claim. But, more important, his client wanted an apology from the city. Valentine interpreted the proposed memorial as the city's attempt to reconcile with her.

"I really felt that was some type of acknowledgment from the city that makes me feel better about what happened and I was pleased with that," she said.

Zdravko said the monument would consist of a tree and a bronze placard with an inscription dedicated to Shea.

Valentine, who went back to using her maiden name after her husband's death, hopes the settlement will end a painful chapter in her life.

"I think it's brought closure to the issue with the city of Largo," she said. "I think this has put a good feeling in my heart."

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