CHARLOTTE, NC — A federal civil trial went underway Wednesday night over a Charlotte man who died after being tased. La-Reko Williams was killed in 2011. His parents filed the suit against the city, claiming an officer used excessive force.
Witnesses say Williams was beating his girlfriend at the Woodlawn light rail station. Officer Michael Forbes fired his taser twice. He was cleared of any wrongdoing.
“Pretty much all I want is my son to have a fair trial. That’s it. I just want a fair trial, you know, cause he’s not here with his family,” said Williams’ mother Temako McCarthy.
The family is asking for punitive and compensatory damages. CMPD stopped using the tasers it had after Williams died. They were replaced with new ones that only shock for five seconds, no matter how long the trigger is held.
