February 1st 2025.
In a recent court ruling, the family of Mansur Ball-Bey, a young man from St. Louis who was fatally shot by police officers, has been awarded nearly $20 million in damages. Despite the officers involved not facing criminal charges, the family's attorney, Javad Khazaeli, has confirmed that they were held accountable for the shooting in a civil case. This incident took place ten years ago, in 2015.
The victim's father, Dennis Ball-Bey, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2020 against the officers who were responsible for his son's death, as well as the former chief of police and the entire city of St. Louis. After the ruling, he made a statement, saying, "You just can't give up on what you believe. We need to put an end to police brutality."
The tragic incident occurred when Mansur was shot by two officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department while they were conducting a search warrant in the Fountain Park neighborhood. The officers have since been fired from their positions. At the time, the then-Circuit Attorney, Jennifer Joyce, stated that there was not enough evidence to prove that the officers did not act in self-defense.
According to court documents, Ball-Bey was shot by the officers on August 19, 2015, during a search warrant at his home. The officers claimed that they opened fire because they believed he was armed. However, Ball-Bey's family disputed this claim in their lawsuit. Khazaeli further clarified, "During the trial, the jury was asked a specific question - whether Mansur was holding a gun. The unanimous answer was no."
An autopsy report revealed that Mansur was shot in the back. As a result, the jury awarded his family $6.25 million in the wrongful death case and an additional $12.5 million in punitive damages, totaling $18.75 million. However, one of the officers found responsible has requested a new trial.
In an interview with First Alert 4, Jermaine Wooten from the Legal Solution Group shed light on the bigger issue at hand. He stated that the problem lies not only with individual officers, but also with the procedures of the St. Louis Police Department and other departments across Missouri. Wooten emphasized, "We have seen a pattern of police being trained poorly and not being held accountable for their actions in St. Louis City."
As this case comes to a close, it is important to remember that incidents of police brutality are not isolated events, and it is crucial to hold those responsible accountable for their actions. This ruling serves as a reminder that justice can prevail, and we must continue to fight for it.
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