Police Killed Gregory Hill, Then a Jury Gave His Family Just $4. Now, They Want Justice.

How much is the life of a Black man worth? According to one Florida jury, about 4 cents. That’s how much the jury awarded to the three children of Gregory Vaughn Hill, Jr., an African American killed by police in 2014. His kids, ages 13, 10 and 7, received $1 each for their pain and suffering, plus an additional $1 for funeral expenses. But that award was reduced to 4 cents, since the jury found police only 1% liable.

The background: In 2014, two sheriff’s deputies from St. Lucie County, Florida, responded to a noise complaint. Within two minutes of their arrival, they shot and killed Hill through the closed garage door of his own house. The case has drawn national attention because of questions about whether officers were threatened.

The response: The attorney for the Hill family, John Phillips, summed up the additional pain caused by the jury’s verdict: "I'd have rather seen a zero than have to tell the children that their pain and suffering for losing their father is only a dollar.”

Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr. and Monique Davis, with their daughters Destiny (left), and Aryanna (right).

How to help the children of Gregory Hill

Donate via the family’s GoFundMe page. According to organizers, the fundraising campaign is “designed to pick up where the jury left off and provide for Hill’s children.”

This will take like 5 minutes: Call presiding Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to ask how she could let this happen: 561.803.3430.

Follow the signs: #GregoryHill and #GregoryVaughnHillJr

HTH IRL: We’ll update this post as protests are planned. In the meantime, connect with and support the Movement for Black Lives, Black Lives Matter, and Showing Up for Racial Justice.