It’s 2018, yet race issues in the United States of America are still far from the ideal, where people are simply treated as people with no reference, whether consciously or not, to the colour of their skin.
Law isn’t supposed to take into consideration the colour of one’s skin before a punishment or reward is given out.
However, a black family of a man who was shot dead by a US sheriff’s deputy has been awarded $4 (GHS 18.93) in damages, following a wrongful death lawsuit — less than GHS 20.
Black lives matter, it is said.
Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr, 30, was shot through his garage door in 2014 by the deputy in St Lucie County, Florida, in response to a noise complaint.
He was found with an unloaded gun, but whether he was holding it is disputed.
A jury ruled that no excessive force was used and Mr Hill was responsible for his own death because he was drunk.
A judge asked the jury to decide if Mr Hill’s constitutional rights had been violated and, if so, whether his family should receive compensation.
After hours of deliberation, the jury awarded $1 to his mother for funeral costs and $1 to each of his three children.
“It’s heartbreaking,” his fiancée, Monique Davis, told the New York Times. “There are a lot of questions I want to ask.”
“I think they were trying to insult the case,” the family’s lawyer, John Phillips, added. “Why go there with the $1? That was the hurtful part.”
The jury found that Christopher Newman, the sheriff’s deputy who shot Mr. Hill three times, had not used excessive force.
It also ruled that Mr. Hill was 99% responsible for his own death, meaning the sheriff’s department is only required to pay 1% of the damages. This would leave the family with four cents.
This amount is expected to be reduced to zero because Mr. Hill was intoxicated, Mr. Phillips says.
He has set up a page to raise funds for the family and to help cover the cost of the repairs caused by the shooting. It has so far received more than $7,000 in donations.
“Deputy Newman was placed in a very difficult situation,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement after the verdict.
“He made the best decision he could for the safety of his partner, himself, and the public was given the circumstances he faced.”
Mr. Phillips says he is drafting a motion for a new trial and will file an appeal if the motion is denied.
Source: BBC
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