NEW ROCHELLE, NY (October 20, 2025) — A Westchester County Surrogate’s Court dismissed a petition to approve a $200,000 settlement for the estate of Jarrel Raymond Garris, a 37-year-old Black man killed by a New Rochelle police officer in 2023, according to court documents filed August 14, 2025.
The petition, filed by Tyisha Katie Pompey, guardian of Garris’s 14-year-old son, Jeremiah Jarrel Pompey, sought to settle a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of New Rochelle, Detective Steven Conn, and the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal. The court, presided over by Hon. Brandon R. Sall, rejected the petition because Pompey, as the minor’s guardian, lacked standing to file. Only the estate’s administrator, Raymond Fowler, Garris’s father, has the legal authority to initiate such a settlement under New York’s Estates, Powers and Trusts Law.
Garris died on July 10, 2023, a week after being shot by Conn on July 3, 2023, following an altercation over an alleged petty larceny incident involving grapes and a banana at a local store. Body camera footage showed Garris allegedly reaching for an officer’s gun during a struggle on Lincoln Avenue, prompting Conn to fire a single shot to Garris’s abdomen, according to public reports.
The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation reviewed the case and, in September 2024, recommended no criminal charges against Conn, citing justified use of force. An internal New Rochelle Police Department probe in January 2025 also cleared the officers of policy violations.
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed in October 2024 in Westchester County Supreme Court, alleged negligence, excessive force, and failure to de-escalate. Public reports indicate the city agreed to a $250,000 settlement in April 2025, though the petition references a $200,000 offer. All proceeds were intended for Jeremiah, Garris’s sole heir, to compensate for lost parental support.
Fowler, who has not formally accepted the settlement, continues to demand accountability. In statements released on anniversaries of the incident, he called for Conn’s termination, alleging the shooting was excessive and racially motivated. A family-led petition for Conn’s firing was launched in July 2025.
The court’s dismissal, issued without prejudice, allows Fowler to refile the petition. If approved, the settlement funds would be held in a guardianship account for Jeremiah, as directed by Kings County Surrogate’s Court, where Pompey was appointed guardian of the proceeds on December 17, 2024.
The case remains unresolved, with no public updates on the settlement’s status since the August 2025 ruling.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.
RELATED
Recent Court Filings Show $200,000 of New Rochelle Settlement Goes to Garris Son (8/15/2025)
Officer Involved Shooting in New Rochelle: Suspect Grabbed Officer’s Gun (7/3/2023)
Latest on Officer-Involved Shooting in New Rochelle(7/7/2023)
Jarrell Garris dies week after being shot by New Rochelle police (7/11/2023)
New Rochelle Citizens Heard on Police Shooting of Black Man by White Police Officer (7/12/2023)
Latest Developments in Officer-Involved Shooting in New Rochelle (7/13/2023)
Lohud: Jarrel Garris’ family seeks accountability in New Rochelle shooting (7/16/2023)
NY AG: New York State Attorney General Releases Jerrell Garris Video (7/25/2023)
WCBS-TV: Funeral held for Jarrell Garris, man killed in controversial New Rochelle Police shooting (7/29/2023)
WCBS-TV: CBS New York investigates troubled final days of Jarrel Garris, killed by New Rochelle police (8/2/2023)
Was Man Shot by New Rochelle Police Suffering from Drug-Induced Hyperthermia? (10/24/2023)
New York Attorney General Clears New Rochelle Police Officer in Shooting Death of Jarrel Garris (9/18/2024)
New NRPD Special Needs Registry Would Not Have Saved Jerrell Garris from Himself (9/29/2024)
New Rochelle PD Finds No Officers Violated Policies or Procedures in Jarrel Garris Shooting (1/24/2025)
New York AG Tish James Excluded Key Evidence from Report on New Rochelle Police Shooting (2/26/2025)
Lead Up to New Rochelle Shooting: A Timeline of Events and Context Surrounding Jerrell Garris’ Death (2/28/2025)
Jerrell Garris Shooting: Every Witness Statement is Consistent with New Rochelle Police Accounts (3/4/2025)
New Rochelle Agrees to Settle Garris Lawsuit for $250,000(4/14/2025)
New York Attorney General Release Additional Jerrel Garris Case Records (7/8/2025)
Discover more from Talk of the Sound
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.