South Carolina Pays $285,000 to Trooper Traffic Stop Shooting Victim

February 5, 2015

South Carolina’s insurance is paying $285,000 to an unarmed man who was shot during a traffic stop by a state trooper now facing a criminal charge.

The state Insurance Reserve Fund says the settlement was reached in October, just a month after the shooting.

Authorities released a video of trooper Sean Groubert shooting Levar Jones just moments after he got out of his truck at a Columbia gas station. Groubert says he was pulling Jones over for a seatbelt violation. The video shows the shooting happened as Levar reached back into his truck to get his license.

Groubert was fired and is awaiting trial on a charge of aggravated assault and battery.

Jones is recovering from the shooting.