ORLANDO, Fla. – The family of Salaythis Melvin, who was shot and killed by an Orange County sheriff’s agent as he ran away across a parking lot at the Florida Mall in 2020, will get $1 million and a personal apology letter in a settlement reached with the sheriff’s office.
News 6 exclusively obtained the agreement on Thursday, which says the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund, an insurance fund, will pay Melvin’s estate and his mother, Michelin McKee, $1 million on behalf of Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Sheriff’s Agent James Montiel.
We have reached out to both the sheriff’s office and Melvin’s family to get their response to the settlement.
[WATCH: Family of man killed by Orange County deputy demands policy changes]
Melvin, 22, was shot in August 2020. Deputies had approached four people outside the Dick’s Sporting Goods store at the Florida Mall in Orlando because one of the men had an active warrant for his arrest.
Melvin was not the man deputies were looking for, and they did not know who he was.
According to investigators, Melvin ran away and toward Montiel, who was in plain clothes, was in an unmarked vehicle, and never announced he was a law enforcement officer.
Montiel saw Melvin holding a Glock handgun that the sheriff’s office later said was stolen. The sheriff’s office said Montiel shot Melvin in the back, who later died.
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell deemed Montiel’s actions lawful back in 2022.
“After this in-depth analysis of the evidence, we have concluded that we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Corporal (James) Montiel committed a crime in this case,” Worrell said. “My deepest sympathies go out to Salaytis Melvin’s family. I know this is not the result that they’ve been looking for, and that they feel that they have been denied justice.”
[WATCH: Orange-Osceola state attorney deems deputy shooting of Salaythis Melvin ‘lawful’]
In addition to the money, Montiel will write a personal letter of apology to McKee. The agreement says Montiel is writing the letter in his individual capacity, not on behalf of the sheriff’s office. The letter is not intended to be an admission of liability or criminal guilt, according to the agreement.
Montiel was fired in 2024 after being accused of possessing child pornography. He was arrested again in July 2025, accused of illegally accessing law enforcement databases.
This is a developing story. Check back with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates.