CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A jury says a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer was liable for the death of a suspect who was tased on a light rail platform.
Witnesses say La-Reko Williams was beating his girlfriend at the Woodlawn light rail station in July of 2011. Officer Michael Forbes deployed his taser twice, ultimately, killing Williams.
Williams’ family filed a civil suit claiming the officer used excessive force.
While the jury agreed Thursday, an internal investigation by CMPD found that Officer Forbes acted appropriately according to CMPD’s policies and procedures. That investigation was conducted shortly after Williams’ death.
The City of Charlotte now has to pay the family of Williams $500,000. This is compensatory. The family was not granted punitive damages.
After Williams’ death, CMPD stopped using the taser model they had and replaced them with new ones that only shock for five seconds no matter how long the trigger is held.
City Attorney, Robert Hagemann, released this statement: “Mr. William’s death was tragic yet unintended. While we continue to believe that Officer Forbes acted reasonably in a very difficult situation, our judicial system has spoken and we respect the jury’s decision.”
