The family of a 23-year-old male student who attended a university in Texas is suing the university and a campus police officer for wrongful death. The male student was shot and killed by the police officer in December. It is not fully known what transpired that lead to the shooting death of the male student and subsequently caused his family to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
On December 6, the police officer on duty that night allegedly saw the man driving home drunk. The police officer followed the man to his apartment complex and confronted him. The man and the officer had a physical struggle in the parking lot of the apartment that lasted approximately six minutes. In the midst of the struggle, the police officer ended up shooting the man five times, including once in the back.
According to a toxicology report that was released after the man’s death, the man had a very high blood alcohol content level. In the lawsuit against the university, it says that the university failed to properly train the police officer. According to the victim’s family, the officer used excessive force when he tried to arrest the student and ended up killing him in the process.
Wrongful deaths may occur more often than individuals are aware. It is probably difficult for a family to accept that their loved one has been erroneously killed. In a successfully litigated wrongful death lawsuit, a Texas court may provide resolution for those affected by the death. Although it hurts to lose a loved one, monetary compensation may help with end-of-life expenses so that families can start the healing process.
Source: San Antonio Express-News, “UIW responds to wrongful death lawsuit filed by Redus family“, Drew Joseph, May 7, 2014