RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A lawyer representing a U.S. Army lieutenant who was pepper-sprayed, beaten and handcuffed during a traffic stop said he was sacked after a jury ruled in favor of police officers. I filed a new lawsuit.
Attorney Tom Roberts says new trial is essential to show justice system works, WWBT-TV reportThe motion was filed Friday, days after a federal jury in Richmond Award Lieutenant Caron Nazario got less than $4,000 in a lawsuit that was seeking over $1 million.
“He was shocked. Everyone was shocked. The whole country was shocked,” said Nazario co-president Roberts. Roberts said leaving the verdict in place would be a miscarriage of justice.
A video of the 2020 incident in the small town of Windsor has received millions of views after Nazario filed a federal lawsuit. Fear of Black Driver Abuse It raises questions about reasonable police behavior.
Last week, a jury found former Windsor police officer Joe Gutierrez responsible for the assault, awarding Nazario $2,685 in compensatory damages, according to attorneys on both sides of the lawsuit.
Roberts said a new trial was needed because a jury should have found that Gutierrez had abused and wrongfully imprisoned Nazario.
“In this situation, the jury’s finding of assault gives him the right to make a reasonable resistance to say I’m scared to get out of the car and stay in his car,” Roberts said. “So all their actions after that amounted to shelling and assault.”
The jury also awarded Nazario $1,000 in punitive damages after Daniel Crocker of the Windsor Police Department illegally searched Nazario’s SUV, the attorney said. has been held liable.
One of Crocker’s attorneys, Ann Lahren, said in a statement Monday that he plans to challenge the new court motions this week.
“The new trial motion seeks special remedies reserved by the courts for exceptional circumstances that do not exist here,” Laren said. Lack of his own arguments. We are confident the jury got it right in its verdict.
A jury found in favor of Crocker and against Nazario’s assault and wrongful imprisonment claims. .
Crocker is still in the force, but Gutierrez dismissal April 2021, the same month Nazario filed the lawsuit.
Special prosecutor in August decision Gutierrez should not face criminal charges, but should be investigated for potential civil rights violations.