Mays v. Hines

On March 29, 2021, in Hopewell, Virginia, police officer Tony Hines Sr. fatally shot Quadry Mays, a 26-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop. Mays had fled on foot, and body camera footage showed he was unarmed when Hines fired three shots into his back after a brief struggle. The estate of Quadry Mays, represented by his mother Dominique Mays, filed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit against Officer Hines. The case highlighted severe misconduct, as Hines had been placed on administrative leave prior to the shooting for a separate incident involving the discharge of his weapon, yet was still allowed to carry a badge and gun, raising serious questions about departmental oversight.

In July 2023, the City of Hopewell and its insurer agreed to a landmark $20 million settlement with the family of Quadry Mays. This was reported as one of the largest police shooting settlements in Virginia's history. The civil case was resolved without a trial, and Officer Tony Hines Sr. was not criminally charged in connection with the shooting.

The central legal dispute was whether Officer Tony Hines Sr. used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment when he shot an unarmed Quadry Mays in the back while he was fleeing. The case further focused on the applicability of qualified immunity and the municipal liability of the Hopewell Police Department for allowing an officer with a history of misconduct to remain on active street duty with a weapon, effectively setting the stage for the deadly confrontation.

The Mays v. Hines case intensified scrutiny on police accountability in Virginia, particularly regarding the retention of officers with documented histories of misconduct. The record $20 million settlement signaled a potential shift in how municipalities and insurers value wrongful death claims in police violence cases. The public release of the body camera footage sparked protests and amplified demands for legislative reforms, including restricting qualified immunity and mandating stricter oversight for officers on administrative leave. The case underscored systemic failures in early intervention systems designed to identify at-risk officers.