A Family is Awarded $6.5 million in connection with an Alleged Fatal Police Shooting of a Mentally Ill Man
On Wednesday, September 27, 2017, the family of a man killed in an alleged police shooting was awarded $6.5 million by a federal jury. The verdict was reached in less than two hours. Johnathan Rose was schizophrenic, and he was allegedly shot and killed in his own home on January 17, 2012. The alleged fatal police shooting occurred in Sacramento County, California. Law enforcement officers had been called to the home by Rose’s parents, who wanted help for their mentally ill son, who had become extremely agitated. Rose’s father, Ted Rose, filed the wrongful death lawsuit against Sacramento County and the deputy who allegedly shot him. The father died, however, on the night before his testimony was scheduled in the trial. Other family members said that, with the verdict, justice and truth have prevailed.
The deputy who allegedly shot Rose was on patrol when the incident occurred, and he had been working at Sacramento County Main Jail shortly before returning to patrol duties. The deputy was answering the family’s 9-1-1 call and found that Rose was not armed. Rose was also not under arrest. However, the deputy claims that he feared for his life and was struck repeatedly by Rose, who weighed 261 pounds. The verdict is an indication that the jury did not believe the deputy had appropriate grounds to shoot Rose in self-defense.
This verdict is the latest among several multimillion-dollar judgments against Sacramento County in recent years. Just over a year ago, female deputies were awarded $3.6 million for alleged workplace retaliation. The six-year legal fight cost the county more than $10 million total.
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