Mark T. Garrity, Jr. was stabbed at Taz's Supermarket on South Wilmington Street in April 2023. Taiseer Zarka, who is the former owner of the convenience store, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to over five years in prison.
"The family really wanted some justice," said Spencer Fritts with Morse Fritts PLLC.
Documents obtained by ABC11 reveal that Amy Sterling Garrity, who is the mother of Mark Garrity Jr., filed a wrongful death lawsuit in April of last year against Taiseer Zarka, his company, the Jasmen Corporation, and the property's landlord, Phillip Horwitz.
The defendants have agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle the lawsuit.
"We saw Mark being treated in a way no human being should be treated. It was in a way that didn't give him a chance and in a way that took his life," said Jacob Morse.
Attorneys Jacob Morse and Spencer Fritts with Morse Fritts PLLC represent the Garrity family. The paperwork said on April 6, 2023, the life of Mark Garrity Jr., 27, was tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence at the downtown Raleigh convenience store known as "Taz's". It stated that the store was repeatedly the site of criminal activity, with police receiving over 900 emergency calls in the five years leading up to Mark's death.
"You need to have some type of measure to ensure safety for patrons, whether its security or something. It needs to be something. That's entirely too many calls to have at one place in a short period," said Fritts.
The lawsuit was filed four months after Zarka was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon.
"Police routinely had to respond to this scene. There was evidence that the shopkeeper himself had acted in a violent and aggressive manner before Mark ever walked through the door," said Morse.
Mark Garitty's mother released the following statement:
"This journey has been one of insurmountable anguish and grief but also one of hope. While nothing can replace Mark and the love we shared as a family, this resolution honors his memory, brings a sense of justice to his loved ones, and works to prevent senseless tragedies like this from happening in the future."