The city of Rochester will pay $1.25 million to settle claims by a police officer blinded in a 2019 attack.
The lump-sum payout to Officer Denny Wright, confirmed to WXXI News, adds to a $500,000 settlement that Monroe County legislators signed off on this week.
The city also will continue to cover Wright’s medical expenses related to his injuries, and provide health insurance to him and his wife.
Wright — who has been out injured but remained on the force — will now retire. And while he is collecting a pension, he also will be paid $65,000 annually for up to 10 years “as additional compensation for pain and suffering damages,” according to the city.
The 29-year department veteran was stabbed in the face, neck and eyes after responding to a 911 call for a family disturbance in October 2019. The caller said her grandson, Keith Williams, was “acting crazy.”
Though the address had frequent calls for emergency response, and Williams had a documented history of mental health issues, Wright alleged in a later lawsuit that he was provided no warning. Such locations typically are flagged with a premise warning, he argued, that trigger different protocols to ensure officer safety.
Williams was convicted in 2022, and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
A statement issued by the city called Wright “a hero to the Rochester community and the embodiment of the courage, the selflessness, and the humility to which all police officers aspire.”
Wright received the Governor’s Police Officer of the Year award in 2021, and the RPD's Medal of Valor and Purple Heart. But resolution to his lawsuit pursuing damages has been in the court nearly five years, surviving a county appeal seeking dismissal.
The county Legislature’s approval was needed before the city’s announcement of the settlement terms. City Council does not need to sign off on the city’s portion, as the City Charter gives legal counsel the authority to authorize settlements.
