U.S. top court leaves intact jury award in Los Angeles police shooting
Source: Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the city of Los Angeles and two policemen on Monday, leaving in place a $5.7 million judgment a jury awarded to a man left paralyzed from the waist down after the officers shot him in the back four times.
The city and the officers, Julio Benavides and Mario Flores, had asked the justices to overturn a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld the 2012 award won by the man, Robert Contreras, in his lawsuit accusing police of using excessive force in the 2005 incident.
The incident occurred after the officers were alerted to reports of a drive-by shooting and followed a van linked to the crime. Benavides and Flores chased Contreras when he exited the van and shot him in the back when he stopped in a driveway.
The officers later testified that Contreras had a gun although he was, in fact, unarmed.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-police-idUSKBN0TX1RX20151214
US | Mon Dec 14, 2015 9:57am EST
WASHINGTON | BY LAWRENCE HURLEY
= new reply since forum marked as read
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.