Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Ordered to Pay L.A. Man $1.3 Million for Excessive Force
http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila..._03082008.html
A jury awarded a man a $1.3 million verdict, saying deputies used excessive force when they peppered his sport utility vehicle with 66 bullets.
Winston Hayes, 46, suffered nine bullet wounds when deputies fired 120 shots at him at the end of a low-speed pursuit on May 9, 2005. More than half the bullets hit Hayes' vehicle.
"Justice was done," Hayes said after the verdict.
"We do hope this verdict acts as a catalyst for building relationships between the Sheriff's Department and the community it serves," said Brian Dunn, Hayes' attorney.
Lawyers for the county declined comment.
After 10 days of deliberations, the jury determined Friday that Los Angeles Sheriff's Department deputies Michael Haggerty and Vergilian Bolde used excessive force. Nine of the 12 jurors voted for the award, the minimum required in a civil case.
Deputies testified that they believed Hayes had attempted to run them down, and all said they only fired to save their own life or that of a fellow deputy. One deputy was caught in the crossfire but was only slightly wounded.
Thirteen deputies involved in the shooting received disciplinary actions ranging from written reprimands to 15-day suspensions.
Jurors said they discussed the past and motivations of Hayes, who had previous convictions for arson, assault, theft and resisting arrest. He conceded that he had used cocaine and marijuana the night the shots were fired.
Amateur video of the end of the 12-minute chase showed Hayes, who authorities believed had been involved in a shooting that night in Compton, stopped by a blockade of squad cars with about a dozen deputies approaching him.
The deputies opened fire after Hayes' SUV lurched forward and struck a patrol car.
Source: AP News
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